


Operation Angelfish

by SerenBex



Series: Home Isn't a Place [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 76,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenBex/pseuds/SerenBex
Summary: When someone from Emma's past turns up in Storybrooke and teams up with Henry to give his mothers their happy ending, will everything work out the way they expect or will the new arrival and their actions just end up opening a whole new can of worms?I'm in the process of moving my SQ fics from FF.net over to A03 after rewatching OUAT and remembering my adoration of Swan Queen. This was first written/posted in 2013.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Series: Home Isn't a Place [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2165982
Comments: 29
Kudos: 132





	1. Chapter 1

Ruby rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on the counter as she stared blankly ahead of her. Her nails tapped indistinct rhythms on the surface as she waited for closing time. On nights like this when the only person in the diner was Leroy, she didn’t understand why Granny wouldn’t let her shut up early; the Dwarf wouldn’t know whether she was kicking him out early or not.

Her gaze shifted to the clock on the wall and she sighed loudly as she watched the second hand tick almost teasingly slowly around the face. She counted down the minutes as closing time gradually crept closer. She wished that something interesting would happen just once to make her late night shifts just a little more bearable. Then she realised that, considering how things could turn out, wishes like that weren’t sensible.

With ten minutes to go before she could kick Leroy out, flip the sign and lock up, the door opened and footsteps crossed the floor and stopped in front of the counter. Ruby’s gaze moved slowly up the figure standing in front of her, taking in the battered boots, scruffy baggy jeans with rips at the knees and a dark grey zip-up hoody, the hood of which was up. Either side of the pale face that was just visible from under the hood hung long, mousy brown hair. The grey eyes of the girl in front of her were staring intently into Ruby’s own, making the waitress jump slightly as she met them.

The girl smirked, obviously not the slightest bit bothered that the woman had been scrutinising her outfit. “Can I get a coffee?”

Ruby nodded and hurried to make the drink, her curiosity demanding that she was back in record time, setting the mug in front of the young woman. She accepted the assortment of coins that she had counted out and left on the counter, watching her carefully as the girl hoisted herself onto one of the stools and wrapped her hands around the mug, staring at the dark liquid thoughtfully. A couple of minutes passed and Ruby realised that her desperation to close the diner had passed; she was far more interested in the girl. Perhaps her wish had been answered. The fact that the girl still had her hood up and her head bowed, blocking her face from view, was making the waitress even more curious.

“So… I haven’t seen you around before?” Ruby said at last, making the statement sound more like a question.

“That’s probably because I’m new in town.” The girl replied with a shrug, her gaze still fixed to her drink.

Ruby’s eyes met Leroy’s over the hooded head and she raised an eyebrow. “You passing through, or…”

“This is a long shot…” The girl started, snapping her gaze up to meet the waitress’ and again making the young woman almost flinch at the intensity she saw in them. “I don’t suppose you know Emma Swan, do you?”

There was a pause as Ruby considered the girl’s words, wondering who she was and how she knew Emma. For her part, the girl continued to stare, obviously wondering why the waitress hadn’t answered her question either way. Surely it was easy enough to give a simple yes or no. Even if it was a lie, the woman could have answered her question. The girl frowned at this realisation.

“I’ll go and get the Sheriff.” The man in one of the booths along the wall offered. Before the girl could turn around and glare at him, he had left the diner, the door closing firmly behind him.

She turned back to the waitress, something akin to fear suddenly appearing in the large, grey eyes. “Wait… what? The Sheriff? I haven’t done anything. Is it a crime to ask whether you know someone round here?”

“No!” Ruby tried to assure her quickly.

The girl wasn’t waiting around to find out why they’d gone to fetch the Sheriff. She drained her coffee cup and grabbed the backpack that she’d dumped on the ground at her feet. Shifting it onto her shoulder, she shot Ruby a glare before putting her head down and striding from the diner.

Ruby rushed around the counter in an attempt to stop the girl leaving, but by the time she reached the doorway, she realised that she was no longer needed. The girl was standing stock-still in the middle of the road, staring at the blonde woman who was striding purposefully towards her.

Never one to miss out on gossip, the waitress took a couple of steps out of the diner to watch what was happening in the street under the guise of folding away the diner sign. Emma stopped in front of the girl, her head tilting to one side as she ran her gaze over the stranger. Her bag had been dropped on the ground at her feet, completely forgotten as she stood still, apparently waiting for something.

“How did you find me?” Emma asked after a moment or two.

“Luck.” The girl replied. Ruby spotted the smallest movement as she shrugged her shoulders. When the Sheriff didn’t respond, the girl expanded on her answer. “You mentioned where you worked in Boston one time, so I went there, but your boss said you’d moved. He wasn’t sure, but he thought you were in Maine, so I came here. Well… not _here_ here. I tried a couple of other towns first, but then I found myself here. I had a weird feeling that maybe I was in the right place this time…”

“Why?”

“I dunno… you’re the expert in weird feelings, what with your superpower and all.”

From her vantage point, now leaning against the fence in front of the diner, Ruby saw her friend flinch at the girl’s words. She frowned, wondering how this stranger knew so much about the Sheriff. Her surprise was heightened when Emma took several steps forward, closing the gap between her and the girl and throwing her arms around her. She held her close for several minutes, before the girl broke away, tilting her head to one side as she surveyed the blonde.

“What was that for?” She asked, obviously a little confused.

Emma shrugged. “I guess I missed you.”

“So you’re not gonna get mad at me for tracking you down then?”

The blonde chuckled. “That depends.”

“On?”

“How much trouble you’re in… and how much you’re planning on getting in.”

The girl laughed too. “None and none.”

“Oh, like I believe that for a second!” Emma told her, scooping to pick up the girl’s bag and propelling her along the street. “Even without my superpower I know you’re lying, so spill, kid.”

Ruby pouted as they disappeared from sight and made her way back into the diner. She was finally able to close up for the night, but she didn’t have any idea who the girl was and how she knew Emma and that was more infuriating than anything.

* * *

In the end, Emma had decided against forcing the girl to tell her the real reason she was there that evening. It was late and she was obviously exhausted. Instead, Emma slung her arm around the girl’s shoulders and led her towards the apartment she shared with Henry and her parents. It would be awkward and cramped, but there was nothing else to do at the moment.

Mary Margaret and David had gone out for the evening and Henry was fast asleep in the tiny box room that had become his when he’d moved in. As Emma let them into the apartment, she rolled her eyes at the sight of Leroy, who she’d left to watch Henry after he’d come knocking on the door to inform her she was wanted at the diner, sprawled out on the couch. Nudging him with the toe of her boot, she ignored the stream of swear words that rolled naturally off his tongue as he jolted awake.

Once he had gone, taking half the beers in the fridge with him as payment for his babysitting services, Emma showed the girl up to her bedroom. Leaving her to change, she poked her head into Henry’s room to make sure he was OK, before going into the bathroom. By the time she returned, the girl was fast asleep. Emma smiled fondly, seeing her still wearing her battered hoody.

The next morning Emma was up early as usual. After a while she was joined in the kitchen by David and, not long after him, Mary Margaret. The trio ate their breakfast in companionable near-silence, none of them really feeling the need to start a conversation.

  
When the blonde was hunched over the breakfast bar, her third mug of coffee clutched in her hands, a loud clatter from the foot of the stairs caused all three of them to turn quickly. Henry stood wide-eyed at the bottom, one hand wrapped around the metal banister and his eyes fixed incredulously on his mother.

  
Emma thought she had a fair idea of what was coming, but her parents had absolutely no idea. Their eyes flicked worriedly between their daughter and grandson, waiting to hear what was going on.

  
“Emma...” Henry murmured after moment or two in which the tension grew rapidly. “Why is there a strange woman in your bed?”

  
Both Mary Margaret and David gasped and, despite knowing that there was a completely innocent, respectable explanation, Emma found herself blushing. To cover her embarrassment, the blonde stood and moved to clear away her now empty coffee mug, before wiping her hands carefully on the cloth and turning back to face them.

  
“Oh, that...” She muttered in a measured tone. “She’s a friend of mine from out of town. She’s gonna be staying for a bit.”

  
“Out of town?” David asked, his eyes suddenly wary.

  
“A friend?” Mary Margaret’s eyebrow rose in disbelief; a justified action as the blonde had never mentioned any friends before.

  
“Who is she?” Henry demanded curiously.

  
Emma sighed and ignored the questioning. Instead she walked forwards and put her hands on her son’s shoulders, directing him back up the metal staircase. She was pretty sure her parents were following, but she didn’t stop to check. They paused outside Emma’s bedroom for a moment before she pushed lightly on the door, causing it to swing open.

The girl was curled up in a tight ball on the left side of Emma’s bed, her knees visible over the top of the blanket as they were pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them and her forehead resting on them. During the night her hood, which had been firmly in place when she’d gone to bed, had fallen back and allowed the long tendrils of her mousy brown hair to spread out around her. The side of her face that was facing upwards was exposed; her pale skin was covered with a smattering of freckles over the bridge of her nose and cheeks and her eyes squeezed tightly closed, almost as though she was scowling in her sleep.

“Who is she?” Henry repeated after the four of them had surveyed the girl for a couple of minutes.

As though she had heard his question, or just felt their eyes on her, the girl’s eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright. Shuffling backwards until she was sitting against the headboard with the blanket almost up to her chin, she gazed between the unfamiliar faces in something nearing panic. She only relaxed slightly as her eyes found Emma’s and the blonde gave her a reassuring smile.

“You sleep OK, kid?” The Sheriff asked in a brisk, business-like tone. Beside her, Henry glanced up, slightly confused about her question. Then he realised that she wasn’t talking to him.

The girl nodded. “Yeah, best night for… a while.”

“Good. Right, bathroom’s just down the hall… go and have a shower then I’ll get you some breakfast.”

“Umm…” Emma and the girl glanced round at the tentative sound from Mary Margaret as she surveyed them carefully. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Oh, right…” The blonde looked quickly at the girl and smiled, waving her hand almost dismissively as though trying to make out it wasn’t a big deal. “This is Liv… Liv, this is my Mo– Mary Margaret, David and Henry. Now go and get that shower, kid.”

With that, she turned and left the room quickly, leaving her family no choice but to either stand awkwardly looking at the girl or follow her down the stairs. They chose the latter option, waiting until they heard the bathroom door lock click and then turned on the blonde immediately, bombarding her with questions. For a couple of minutes Emma ignored them, fixing another pot of coffee and pouring herself a mug.

“Emma, sweetheart, who is this girl?” Mary Margaret asked, trying to hide her suspicious curiosity behind concern.

“She’s… she’s the closest thing I had to family before I got here.” Emma admitted, sitting at the breakfast bar and clutching her coffee mug tightly. “I was in a group home near Rockland when I first met Liv. She was this tiny, scrappy little three-year-old with massive eyes that were way too big for her face and a load of wild hair that refused to do what it was told. The other kids used to pick on her because she was the smallest, so I stepped in. After that I couldn’t get rid of her; not that I really wanted to.” Emma refused to meet anyone’s eyes, still not entirely comfortable talking about her past. “Just over a year later I was out of the system and I had to leave her behind. Liv begged me to take her with me, but what good could I do for the kid… I was sixteen, no job, no home… I visited her for a couple of months, but then she was moved down to somewhere in New Hampshire and I went to Oregon, where I met Neal and… had Henry.”

“And went to prison.” Her son added in unhelpfully.

Emma shot him a look, but then smiled weakly. “Yeah, kid. But… after I got released I tracked her down; I think it was a mixture of guilt at giving Henry up and guilt at leaving her behind. I couldn’t be there for my kid, but maybe I could be there for Liv. I tracked her down to a foster home in Connecticut, but she wasn’t there long. They shipped her back when she got too much to handle. She’s not a bad kid… she’s just… impulsive with a short temper and a complete lack of respect for authority.”

“Remind you of someone?” Mary Margaret asked with a fond smile. Her daughter shrugged.

“Fair point... Anyways, they bounced her around foster homes and group homes and I swear the longest she stayed anywhere was about six months; even worse than me. I followed her and watched out for her as much as I could. She’s got this amazing ‘shit happens’ attitude… nothing much seems to faze her, which is a good thing, trust me.” Emma smiled. Her parents shifted guiltily at the implications behind her words, but the blonde either didn’t notice or didn’t react. “When she was fourteen Liv begged me to foster her so that she could get out of the home she was in. She’d had an adoption fall through and things were… but I couldn’t… all that responsibility… my life wasn’t exactly kid-friendly. I tried to explain, but I made things worse and she refused to talk to me. Not long after that they moved her and she didn’t tell me where. And then Henry turned up and I came here and… I haven’t seen Liv in over two years.”

“But she found you?” David asked, speaking for the first time. His arms were folded across his chest and he was frowning slightly. “How did she find you?”

“Like I told Em, it was luck.” A voice said from the top of the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

They turned to see the teenager looking down at them. She was dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, her hood up yet again. The only difference was that the hair that escaped from underneath it and hung against the dark material of her sweater was soaking wet and leaving dark patches on the material.

“I knew she’d been in Boston so I went there. Then I was told she was back in Maine… this is the nineteenth town I tried.”

Regarding her with suspicion, David’s paternal instincts kicked in. “Why were you so desperate to find her?”

“Desperate? That’s a little strong.” Liv told him with a smirk. She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, helping herself to a mug of coffee as though she owned the place. Before she continued, she settled herself on the stool beside Emma’s at the breakfast bar. “I just had no one else I wanted to look for, that’s all. As soon as I turned sixteen and got out of the system I decided to track her down. It’s taken me over a year to do it.”

The matter of fact tone she used, combined with the words she’d spoken, caused all four of them to look at her in bemusement. Emma, used to the teenager’s attitude, shook her head slightly and smiled into her mug, but no one else was really sure what to say. The knowledge that the kid had spent eighteen months trying to track Emma down made the blonde slightly uneasy, but in a good way. On the other side of the room, Mary Margaret and David were looking at each other carefully, as though having a conversation that no one else could hear. Henry was just staring at Liv with an open mouth. Liv herself was drinking her coffee as though nothing unusual was going on.

After a couple of moments, the girl looked up, curiosity blossoming over her features. “Who are you guys, by the way?” She registered the slight panic that crossed the couple’s faces and turned her attention to Emma quickly. “Because it’s a bit weird if a married couple with a kid have taken you in as a lodger.”

“Oh… I’m not their kid.” Henry told her before anyone else could speak. “I’m hers. I’m Henry.”

“Wait…” Liv furrowed her eyebrows looking between Emma and the boy. “That’s your kid? You found him? How?”

“He found me, actually. I–”

“I tracked her down in Boston and brought her here. I needed her help to break the curse!”

There was a moment of silence. Emma, Mary Margaret and David seemed to be holding their breath and Liv was staring at Henry as though he’d grown an extra head. Then she started laughing. “Curse? Good one, kid. Well it got her here, so maybe it wasn’t as stupid a plan as it sounds.”

“It wasn’t a stupid plan!” Henry pouted at her. “It’s true! Emma broke the curse and everyone got their memories back. Right Grandpa?”

Liv followed the boy’s gaze to the man standing awkwardly on the opposite side of the kitchen. Her eyebrows shot so far up they almost vanished into her hairline. “You’re kidding?”

“Err…” Emma stood up abruptly. “I’ve got get to work. Can either of you watch Henry?”

“Sorry, honey, I’ve got to run.” The other woman replied apologetically, glancing at the time. “I’m already late.”

“Same…” Her husband agreed with a small shrug.

“But…” Emma glanced towards her son who had settled himself at the breakfast bar with a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice.

“I can watch the kid.” Liv offered with a shrug. “He doesn’t seem too irritating.”

“Oh… I don’t…” The brunette started, pausing in her task of shrugging on her coat. Her husband, helping her into it, stopped too and looked between the blonde and the teenage girl.

Liv shrugged again, taking a gulp of coffee. “Seriously, it’ll be fine. It might even be fun.”

“Fine, sure, whatever.” Emma agreed, raising her hands slightly, almost in defeat. “Just…”

“Henry can give me a tour of this place… show me all the highlights of Storybrooke.”

“Maybe later…”

As the blonde beckoned her son over and told him something in a low voice, earning herself a quick nod, the girl watched them curiously. Something seemed a little odd about the whole situation. She was pleased that the blonde had got her son back, but the fact that he had called the man ‘Grandpa’ when there was no way he was much older than Emma confused Liv deeply. Then again, the kid had mentioned some kind of curse that Emma had broken, so maybe he was a little slow.

“Right… I’ll be back about five. Just stay here and be good. If you need me I’ll be at the Sheriff’s station.”

Henry nodded and returned to his seat at the table and Liv raised her hand in a salute, before focusing her attention on her coffee once more. Neither of them spoke as the blonde sighed and left the apartment. The second she was gone, the girl leant over the breakfast bar and fixed Henry with narrowed eyes.

“OK, kid, spill. Why did you call that guy Grandpa? Who are they?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not supposed to tell you anything.”

“Why?”

“Because Emma wants to talk to you properly later.”

“So you’re not allowed to tell me what’s going on round here?” When he didn’t respond after a couple of moments, she leant back and folded her arms. “You always do everything your Mom tells you?”

A strange look passed through his eyes and then he shrugged. “No.”

“So?”

“You’ll think I’m crazy.”

Liv laughed. “I already think you’re crazy, so you might as well spit it out.”

He took a deep breath and then launched into a story about fairy tale characters and a curse and the occupants of the town. The girl was a good listener, letting him talk without interrupting at all. Her face remained passive through the entire story, but her eyes gave away her emotions, rapidly shifting between confusion, amusement and disbelief. She’d met loads of kids who made up complicated stories like this to make themselves feel better about their situations, but none of them were as in-depth or far-fetched as Henry’s.

“So… let me get this straight,” Liv muttered when the boy finally came to a stop, looking at her anxiously and obviously wondering what she was going to say, “Emma is some Saviour and the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Those people who were here earlier, Mary Margaret and David, are actually Snow and Charming which means that they’re Emma’s parents?” He nodded enthusiastically, a beaming smile appearing on his face. “And your other Mom is the Evil Queen and she hates Snow White because she destroyed her life?”

“Well… yeah…”

“And the curse was broken because your Mom tried to poison Emma with an apple turnover, but you ate it instead and then Emma kissed you and woke you up, which broke the curse?”

“Yeah.”

“And everyone in Storybrooke is a fairy tale character?”

“Except me and you.”

There was a long pause as Liv continued to digest the information. When she spoke again, the boy’s face fell. “You know, kid, I used to live in a home with this girl who told everyone that her Mom was Jennifer Aniston, but she had to give her away because of being famous and filming _Friends_ and stuff.”

“It’s not the same!” He argued. “That’s a lie… this is true.”

“I get that you want it to be true because it makes you feel better or something, but–”

Henry glared at her. “I’ll prove it to you!”

Liv watched him curiously for a moment. She could see the anger and sadness mingling in his eyes as she continued to watch him. “Why is it so important that I believe you?”

“Because I like you and Emma likes you and I can tell she wants you to stick around.” He said without a trace of hesitation. “But you can’t stay if you don’t know the truth.”

“I…” The teenager sighed deeply, her eyes trailing over his face seeing hope and disappointment in equal measures. There was a pang in her chest and she realised that it was guilt. The kid had dreams and she was taking them away from him. They weren’t hers to take. With another sigh she nodded slowly. “Alright, kid… if I’m gonna believe this I’m gonna need proof.”

His eyes lit up and he jumped from his seat, rushing to the door and grabbing his jacket. When she didn’t move, just regarded him with a bemused expression, he beckoned her towards him. Liv rolled her eyes but slid off the stool and crossed the room, coming to a halt in front of the boy.

“You ready for that tour?” He asked, his eyes sparkling with something that the girl hadn’t seen in her own for a long time, not since she was about his age; hope.

* * *

As they wandered through the streets of Storybrooke Liv had to admit that she was, against her better judgement, starting to think that Henry might not be as crazy as she’d originally thought. She had started a game, almost attempting to trip him up, in which she would point at passing people and ask who they were. Henry would give her their Storybrooke name followed by their fairy tale name without a second’s thought. With some of them he even gave a backstory.

In fact, the more Henry told her, the more interested the teenager found that she was. She pushed her hands into her jeans pockets, tilting her hooded head down to look at the boy as he told her enthusiastically about David wandering out of the hospital still in his coma and making his way down to the Toll Bridge in search of Mary Margaret. Her eyebrow arched slightly as he told her that he had woken up when the woman had kissed him.

“But they’re supposed to share True Love, right?” She queried, earning herself a nod and a broad smile. “And you said that could break any curse. So if they kissed, why didn’t the curse break then?”

“Because it was Emma who needed to break the curse; she’s the Saviour.”

“So when she admitted to herself that she loved you when you were sick…”

“Exactly.” Henry agreed, beaming at her. “You do believe, Liv!”

She frowned, holding on to the small shred of cynicism that remained. The girl had to admit that, against her better judgement, she was starting to believe what he was saying was true. “Maybe… but…”

They had reached the playground by now and Liv slumped heavily on the bench, looking around. It was deserted apart from them, which she was grateful for. She examined the almost brand-new climbing frame with a critical eye. It was the kind of thing she’d have loved as a kid, but there had never been anything like that around for kids like her.

“Go and play, kid.” She almost ordered as Henry sat down beside her, looking expectantly up into her face.

“How do you know her?”

“Who?” The teenager asked, although she was well aware who he meant.

“Emma.”

Liv frowned, looking at him carefully. “She told you this morning.”

“That was her side of the story; I wanna hear yours.” He said seriously doing a very good impression of someone far older than him.

She hesitated for a long time, staring at the climbing frame and biting her lip. Beside her Henry started to fidget as he tried to wait patiently. After a couple more minutes, she glanced sideways just long enough to meet his eyes before returning her gaze to the apparatus in front of them.

“What d’you wanna know?”

“What was she like?”

“She was… it’s hard to remember what she was like when I was little. I was only four when she left the group home but… but I remember that she used to watch out for me. The other kids used to tease me and steal my desert and any treats I got. Emma stopped them. She used to hug me when I got hurt and sit with me when I had nightmares.” Something flickered in Liv’s eyes and she shrugged, almost shaking herself out of her reminiscing. “I’m not sure, but I think she was different with me than everyone else. She was always in trouble for something with the adults and none of the other kids really liked her. But I loved her… she was the closest thing I had to a sister or a Mom and I was so sad when she left me.”

“But she came to find you.” Henry pointed out with a shrug.

Despite herself, Liv smiled. “Yeah, she did. I was eight when she came back. I hadn’t seen her for about four years and then there she was, just standing outside my school one day. When my Foster Mom found out that Emma was visiting she sent me away… I don’t know why. But Emma just followed me around every time they moved me someplace else. Every time I saw her in a different place I was surprised. She promised she’d take care of me but I didn’t really believe it because no one else did. But… she did.”

“She said you asked her to foster you?”

A frown appeared on the teenager’s face and she clenched her hands into fists on her thighs. “I never actually expected her to say yes, but I really, really needed to get out of there.”

“Where? Why?” His tone and the expression on his face was so innocent that Liv found she couldn’t not answer.

“Because… group homes aren’t like your home, kid. There aren’t a Mom and magical fairy tale grandparents to take care of you there. There are a few Evil Queens around,” she half-joked before nodding towards the climbing frame, “but they’d never build something like this just to make sure you had a safe place to play. But like I said, I never actually expected Emma to agree. It would have been too much responsibility; she was happy to turn up every now and then and make sure I was still in one piece, but I know the thought of having to take care of me all the time terrified her. I could see the guilt in her eyes, so I made out I didn’t care. Two weeks later I got sent to another home for fighting with the other kids and I didn’t see her again.”

“But you came to find her?”

She nodded slowly and turned to smile at him. “Yeah… when I got out of the system I realised I had nowhere to go and I thought about Emma. Tracking her down was real hard, but somehow I did it.”

Henry grinned at her. “Because she’s your family and you love her. That’s how you found her.”

“If you say so, kid.” Liv told him with a shrug, arching an eyebrow. “You’re starting to sound like one of your fairy tales.”

“But you do believe me now, right?”

“I don’t _not_ believe you.” She conceded with another shrug. “But if you tell anyone any of what I’ve told you I’ll kick your ass. And trust me, you don’t want that.”

“My Moms are the Saviour and the Evil Queen… you wouldn’t dare.” He challenged, narrowing his eyes, the corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk. “I’ve got the same superpower as Emma, so I know if you’re lying.”

Liv scoffed at his words for a moment, before she returned the look. “Try me, kid. Am I lying?”

“Alright, I won’t say anything.” He agreed with a nod after a moment. She grinned and nudged him with her elbow. “Liv… why do you always have your hood up?”

“It’s like… it blocks everything else out and makes me feel safe.”

He nodded in understanding without commenting on her words. “Why do you call me kid? My name’s Henry.”

“Yeah? And my name’s Liv, but it never stopped Emma calling me kid.” She spotted the look on his face and smiled. “I’m guessing she always calls you kid too.”

He nodded again and then stood up. “Let’s go and get a drink at Granny’s diner.”


	3. Chapter 3

Liv frowned as Henry started off towards the track that led back to the main street. He paused, turning to look at her. Realising that he was waiting for her to catch up, Liv climbed to her feet and strode towards the boy. Reaching out, she ruffled his hair before slinging her arm around his shoulders. They walked in silence as the teenager tried to understand what was happening. If forcing her to start getting her head around everything Henry had told her wasn’t an impossible enough task, the fact that the boy had somehow managed to effortlessly get inside her head and get her to talk about something that actually mattered to her was nothing short of a miracle.

Looking down at the kid who’d forced Emma Swan to finally grow up and play mommy, Liv wondered whether he was right after all, because there was definitely magic involved in Emma’s sudden change of lifestyle. The fact that she was Sheriff was almost funny.

“And this,” Henry stopped abruptly and waved his hands theatrically towards the diner in front of them, “is Granny’s. They do the best hot chocolate.”

“They do? I’ve never really been a fan.” Liv informed him with a shrug. “More of a coffee girl myself.”

“Coffee is horrible. Hot chocolate is way better.” Henry told her with a roll of his eyes. She smirked and returned the action, unwilling to get into an argument with him. As he pushed open the door and started towards the counter, he leant towards her conspiratorially. “The waitress is–”

Liv cut him off, shaking her head. “No, let me guess.”

He nodded and grinned at her, hoisting himself onto one of the stools and leaning on the counter. “A hot chocolate and a coffee please, Ruby.” He ordered as the tall brunette with the red streaks in her hair smiled at him. She shot his companion a curious look before moving away to make the drinks.

“I’m guessing you’re paying, considering you asked me for a drink.” She teased, already rooting around in her pockets for some change.

“Why? It’s not a date.” He said, rolling his eyes again.

“You wish it was a date, ki– Henry.” The teenager joked. She caught herself just in time and adjusted her sentence. Somehow calling him ‘kid’ when it was his mother’s pet name for him seemed wrong now. He looked at her oddly and she turned her attention to the waitress, studying her carefully. “Her name’s Ruby, she wears an awful lot of red and she works in a diner called Granny’s... she has to be Little Red Riding Hood, right?”

Henry beamed at her as though he’d never been happier. “Yes!”

“She doesn’t look like Red Riding Hood in the story I read as a kid. Then again, someone had been through and drawn moustaches and beards on all the characters in that book, so I’d be a little worried if she did…”

“Haven’t you been listening?” Henry demanded, suddenly annoyed by her dismissive attitude. “Those versions of the stories aren’t the complete truth, Liv.”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry…”

“No, but really… Ruby can turn into a wolf.”

Liv looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth dropping open. “No way… you’re kidding, right? She’s like… a werewolf?”

The boy nodded enthusiastically. He twisted on his stool and pointed to two men sitting at one of the tables along the back of the diner. “That’s Archie and Marco; Archie is Jiminy Cricket and Marco is Geppetto.”

“What like in that story with the wooden kid? Wasn’t Jiminy Cricket a bug with an umbrella?”

Henry rolled his eyes. “You mean Pinocchio. And yes, Jiminy Cricket was a cricket.”

“Makes sense.”

Silence fell briefly as Ruby returned with their drinks and Liv managed to scrape together enough coins to pay for their drinks. Henry held out some money, but she shook her head and pushed his hand away. She might not have much, but she wasn’t going to let a kid pay.

The waitress looked at her for a moment, before turning to Henry. She smiled widely at the boy, displaying a row of white teeth. Liv raised an eyebrow at the sight, remembering what the kid had told her about Ruby being able to turn into a wolf. She still wasn’t sure whether she believed him, but she could imagine the tall brunette being what he said she was.

“Hey, Henry… who’s your friend?” Ruby asked, leaning on the counter and letting her eyes flick between the two figures opposite her. Clearly she thought he was more likely to give her a straight answer that the girl herself.

“Oh… this is… um…”

“Liv.” The teenager answered for herself, sticking her hand out and fixing the waitress with a careful smile. “I’m a friend of his Mom’s.”

“I’m guessing you mean Emma because, no offence, I can’t imagine you and the Mayor getting on too well.” Ruby replied with an amused smirk, their handshake lingering for just a couple of seconds too long.

From what she’d heard about Henry’s adopted Mom Liv had to agree that Ruby was probably right. “Yeah, Emma. Although I have a feeling that I may have got Henry into trouble… he wasn’t supposed to tell me anything about you lot or this place and we were supposed to stay in the apartment.”

“Liv Reilly!”

Liv pulled a face at the use of her full name and refused to turn round as she heard the Sheriff’s footsteps approaching quickly. “Help…” She mouthed at Henry and Ruby as the footsteps stopped behind her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Emma demanded. She reached forward and tugged Liv’s hood down, making the girl flinch involuntarily.

“Don’t!” Henry cried, leaning forward to pull it back over the teenager’s head. “She doesn’t like it!”

Shooting him a look so that he wouldn’t say anything else, Liv smiled gratefully at the boy, before twisting on the stool to face the blonde. “Hey, Ems…”

“Don’t _hey, Ems_ me!” Emma snapped, pulling the teenager off her stool and away her son. “I told you to stay in the apartment!”

“Did you really expect me to?”

The blonde sighed. “I guess not.”

“And Henry’s fine… I wouldn’t let anything happen to him. He’s… he’s a funny kid. A bit… intense…”

“He told you about…”

“The existence of some fairy tale land and the curse and the fact that you’re the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and his other Mom is the Evil Queen? And that you’ve actually been to fairy tale land… oh, and that you killed a dragon.” Liv asked, raising an eyebrow. She stared intently at Emma, hoping that she would confirm that it was all a joke. But the blonde stared resolutely back at her, her eyes never wavering from the teenager’s. “It’s true?”

“Yeah…”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

Liv cast around for something to say. She was surprisingly calm about the knowledge that the woman who she’d seen as somewhere between a sister and a mom growing up was fairy tale royalty. There had always been something unusual about Emma Swan and it just seemed to make sense. Liv realised that she was finding the information surprisingly easy to take in; it was almost as though, somewhere in the back of her mind, she had already known. But that was impossible. Dismissing the thought, she shrugged and looked over her shoulder to where Henry was perched on the stool watching them carefully. He nodded and smiled reassuringly as she caught his eyes.

“So, Henry said you might want me to stick around for a bit.” She settled on finally. Rather than looking at the woman in front of her, she stared at the ground uneasily.

“If you want.” Emma said, clearly trying to sound as casual just as the teenager was.

“Might as well.” Liv shrugged, barely able to contain her feelings at the prospect. “It’s not like I’ve got anyplace else to be.”

She raised her eyes to meet Emma’s and they both smiled; neither needed to say anything for the other to know that they were happier than they were letting on at the thought of being back together without everything else that had got in the way and spoiled things before. Glancing over at her son, the blonde smirked.

“It’s a good thing you’re here… I need someone to watch Henry while we’re all at work.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have Mary Poppins running the day care centre.” The teenager told her, raising an eyebrow.

“Mary Poppins isn’t a fairy tale.” Emma pointed out, chuckling.

Liv shrugged. “Yeah, right, I’ve seen the movie. Besides, Doctor Frankincense wasn’t a fairy tale either and apparently we walked past him outside the drug store.”

The blonde burst out laughing at the teenager’s mistake. “It’s Frankenstein, you idiot.”

“Whatever… I haven’t seen that movie. It wasn’t even a Disney movie, so how does that work?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “It’s not all about Dis– Never mind, I’ll get Henry to explain later.”

* * *

“Hey, Henry.” Liv called, leaning back on the couch and resting her head on the top so she could look over to where the boy was hunting for juice and snacks in the fridge. “I’ve figured out who I am.”

He sighed. “I told you, you’re not in the book.”

“Yeah, I know.” She agreed as he dropped onto the couch beside her, copying her position with his feet up on the coffee table. Accepting the bowl of chips he passed her and setting the cup of juice on the table by her feet, she grinned at him. “Your Mom said she wanted me here to watch you while she’s at work, right, so that makes me Mary Poppins.”

“That’s not even a fairy tale. It’s just a story.”

Rolling her eyes, Liv shoved a chip into her mouth. “It’s Disney.”

“So?”

“Well Snow White’s a Disney story, so what’s the difference. I quite like the idea of bumping into a young Julie Andrews buying groceries.”

Rather than bothering to validate her statement with a response, he just sighed deeply and muttered something disparaging under his breath. Liv laughed as she caught the words ‘uneducated’ and ‘idiot’, scooping a handful of chips out of the bowl and throwing them at him. Henry stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, unable to believe what she’d just done. Then he grabbed a handful of the snacks and flung them in her direction.

Liv squealed at his unexpected retaliation and leant sideways away from him, overbalancing and toppling off the couch. As she disappeared from sight down the side, Henry burst out laughing. His giggles only increased as her dishevelled head poked up over the arm and she scowled at him.

“Hey!” He exclaimed suddenly. “I’ve figured out who you were.” Liv raised an eyebrow questioningly, resuming her seat beside him on the couch. “You’re so stupid you were obviously a troll.”

She laughed sarcastically, reaching over and catching him in a headlock. “Haha. You’re so funny! You must have been the court jester… or the village idiot.”

They both laughed as she let him go, ruffling his hair as he leant back against the couch. For a while they just sat in companionable silence, watching the movie Henry had chosen to put on. Liv couldn’t have been less interested in the superheroes rushing around on screen, but the kid seemed happy and she was more than content to just sit there basking in the feeling of actually being wanted for once. 

“Is this what it’s like?” Henry asked out of nowhere.

The girl glanced sideways at him. “What? You’re gonna have to elaborate… I don’t read minds.”

“Having a big sister? Is this what it’s like?”

“I dunno, never had one.”

“You had Emma.”

“Well, yeah… but we never really did this…” She waved her hands around indicating that she meant the whole domestic, sitting on the couch watching movies scenario. “But I guess so. You know what, Henry? I always wanted a little brother.”

He smiled. “Really?”

“Yeah… I always wanted someone whose candy I could steal and who I could blame everything I did wrong on.”

“Great…” He muttered rolling his eyes. “That’s exactly what I need; _more_ trouble.”

Liv laughed and glanced at the clock over on the wall. It was five o’clock and she guessed that any minute now Emma and her parents would arrive home. Nudging Henry, she indicated that they should tidy up the evidence of their pathetic attempt at a food fight. He nodded in agreement, sweeping the crumbs into the bowl before emptying them into the trash. They’d have to get the vacuum cleaner to remove all traces, but the teenager couldn’t be bothered; it would just have to do.

As they were dropping back onto the couch to resume their movie watching until the adults arrived, the apartment door opened and Emma walked in, talking into her cell phone. She waved a hand in greeting towards the couch, before heading up the stairs and out of earshot. Henry and Liv exchanged a look, before returning their attention to the screen, losing interest in Emma’s behaviour almost immediately.


	4. Chapter 4

The movie was ending when she returned downstairs and leant on the back of the couch. “Come on, kid… kids, multiple… we’re going to Granny’s for dinner.”

“Why?” Henry demanded immediately, tilting his head to one side as he surveyed his mother.

“Because your Grandparents want the apartment to themselves and I, for one, don’t wanna stick around and find out why.” Emma told him. Immediately the boy and the teenage girl were on their feet and heading for the door. “Coat, kid. Liv… you can borrow one of mine.”

“Nah, you’re alright, Em.” The girl replied, plucking at the front of her hoody. “This is fine.”

“It’s raining pretty hard out there.”

“I’ll be fine.”

With a shrug and a look that clearly said that if the girl got sick because of her stubbornness she’d have to deal with the consequences on her own, Emma led the way out of the building and out into the street. She hadn’t been lying about the weather and, by the time they’d piled into her old yellow bug, they were all soaked. Glancing sideways at the teenager, as though telling her ‘I told you so’, the blonde drove them the short distance to the diner. Liv resolutely ignored her.

They ran into the building, standing dripping on the floor for a moment, before Emma led the way over to a booth at the back of the diner. She smiled up at Ruby as the waitress handed round menus. She was about to say something, when Granny called to her from the kitchen. With a roll of her eyes and a flip of her long hair, the young woman stalked away muttering under her breath.

“What d’you fancy?” Emma asked, looking at Henry and Liv who were sitting side-by-side across the table from her. “Anything you want.”

“You’re paying, right?” The teenager checked quickly. There was laughter in her tone, but underneath the joke it was obvious that she was being completely serious.

Emma nodded and smiled, remembering what it had been like for those first few years after leaving the system. “Of course; although we’ll have to find you a job at some point. I wonder whether Granny’s got any shifts going?”

“I was a waitress for a while last year… it didn’t work out so well…” Liv informed them with a shrug, keeping her eyes on the menu in her hands.

“What happened?” Henry asked, intrigued.

“Let’s just say there was a slight disagreement between me and the manager about what the phrase ‘the customer is always right’ actually means. Particularly when the customers occasionally had wandering hands and I, apparently, just had to deal with it.”

She glanced up and met Emma’s eye, smirking slightly as the blonde sighed and shook her head. Then Emma shrugged. “I know you’d be OK working for Granny… as long as you don’t try anything like short-changing the customers or stealing.”

“Like I would.” The teenager snorted, too used to hearing such accusations because of her past to get offended. “But I thought you wanted me to be all Nanny McPhee?” She glanced hopefully at Henry, who shook his head and smirked, causing her face to fall slightly.

“I told you, it’s almost only fairy tale characters.”

“And Frankincense.”

“Frankenstein.” He corrected quickly.

She shrugged. “Whatever.”

“Ah, Sheriff Swan.” A rich voice said, preventing Emma from reigniting the employment conversation. “Henry…”

“Hey, Mom.” The boy replied a little weakly with a small smile that was almost reluctant, but which the woman returned wholeheartedly.

Liv studied the Mayor carefully, slightly dazzled by the blindingly white teeth that are bared in a wide smile. There was no doubt in her mind that Ruby’s earlier comment that she probably wouldn’t get on too well with this woman was perfectly accurate. She was just so… immaculate. Emma was beautiful in a slightly chaotic, dishevelled, not smack-you-on-the-face obvious way. This woman was just flawless. There wasn’t a hair out of place and her makeup appeared to have been fixed permanently in place because, despite the terrible weather outside, it was perfect. Then again, the teenager supposed, she was the Evil Queen.

“Can I help you?” Regina sneered, looking the girl up and down disdainfully.

Realising she was gawping Liv jumped slightly and closed her mouth. “Huh?”

Regina rolled her eyes and sighed. “I do hope, Sheriff, that you are not planning on entrusting my son to the care of this halfwit.”

“Hey!” The girl complained. “I’m not a halfwit.”

“No, she’s a troll.” Henry joked, giggling to himself.

Liv jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, grinning. “Shut it, village idiot.”

The Mayor looked as though she was about to explode with irritation. “Don’t you dare–”

“It’s OK, Mom.” Henry cut in quickly, seeing his mother’s eyes flashing angrily. “It’s just a joke about something we were talking about earlier.”

“Well, Miss…” She looked pointedly at the teenager, obviously waiting for her to supply her name.

“Reilly, Liv Reilly.”

“Miss Reilly,” Regina continued, looking as though even the girl’s name was offensive to her, “who exactly are you?”

“She’s…” Emma started when she caught sight of Liv staring at her helplessly.

“She’s my big sister.” Henry announced, making all three females turn to look at him quickly. Liv raised an eyebrow in amusement, while Emma looked totally confused and Regina appeared to be on the verge of a breakdown of some sort.

“Did you get the wrong end of the stick or something, kid?” The blonde asked, shaking her head. “Liv’s not my daughter.”

The boy shrugged. “Yeah, I know. But if my Moms are the Evil Queen and the Saviour and my Grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming, then why can’t Liv be my sister? It’s not like we’re a normal family, is it?”

No one seemed sure how to respond to his reasoning. In the end, Regina settled for changing the subject completely. Running a dismissive and yet oddly scrutinizing eye over the girl sitting beside her son, she frowned.

“You are aware that it isn’t actually raining inside the diner, Miss Reilly?”

“Of course… I did manage to work out what roofs are actually for some time during the last seventeen years.”

“So why, may I ask, are you wearing that ridiculous hood inside?”

Liv shrugged. “Because it hides my halo pretty well.”

The Mayor frowned, pressing her lips together tightly in a grim line. “Are you under the impression that you’re funny, dear?”

“Alright, you got me. It’s the devil horns I’m trying to hide.”

“Miss Reilly, perhaps you’re not aware that I am Mayor of this town and you would do well to stay on my good side.” Regina snapped, trying to ignore the fact that her son was doing his best to stifle his giggles and Emma was resolutely staring down at her menu while biting her lip. “I do not appreciate being mocked.”

“Oh… I didn’t mean… it was only a joke.” Liv told her quickly. Usually she wouldn’t care if someone thought she was being rude, but this was the Evil Queen, Henry’s mother. “Sorry, your… Mayorness?”

Regina rolled her eyes, wondering whether this girl was the stupidest she had ever met. If she wasn’t, she was certainly doing a very good impression. Shaking her head slightly, she turned to Emma. The distain was suddenly replaced by something that looked strangely like hope.

“Miss Swan… I was actually wondering whether… well… Henry, would you like to come for dinner with me tomorrow evening?”

“I don’t know, Regina…” Emma said slowly, her brow furrowing as she considered the request. “After… my Mom…”

The brunette sighed softly. “I could have killed your Mother when she came to see me and I won’t deny that it was extremely tempting. But I chose not to, Miss Swan. Your Mother is… well, as you know, I can’t stand the sight of her, but I still chose not to harm her. Henry is my son and I would never… I could never… hurt him.”

“I know that. I just…”

Liv glanced at the boy sitting beside her and saw the slight glimmer of hope in his eyes as he gazed between the two women. When his eyes settled on the brunette, the teenager kicked Emma under the table and glanced towards Henry, causing the blonde to do the same. She sighed as she saw the look on his face and relented.

“Alright, if he wants to, it’s OK with me.” She agreed. “But you can come to Granny’s for dinner. I’ll drop him off and pick him up from here.”

“Henry?” Regina asked, almost as though she didn’t dare hope he’d agree.

The boy nodded eagerly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The Mayor beamed. Her entire face lit up and suddenly she looked nothing like the fairy tale character she was supposed to be. Liv glanced across the table and saw that Emma was smiling too, her eyes drifting between the brunette and their son. The teenager smirked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

After a moment, Emma seemed to pull herself together. “So I’ll drop him off at half six?”

“Perfect.” The other woman agreed. She paused for a moment, before looking directly into the blonde’s eyes and smiling softly. “Thank you.”

Emma looked taken aback. “It’s fine…”

Then the Mayor left, stalking out of the diner without looking at anyone. Ruby appeared beside the table moments later to take their order and the evening returned to the direction it had originally been taking. Liv sent Emma several curious looks throughout the evening, trying to work something out. The blonde looked confused each time she caught the almost glazed, faraway look in the teenager’s eyes, but didn’t mention it.

“So, you survived your first meeting with the Evil Queen.” Emma joked as they lay side-by-side in bed later that night.

“She wasn’t that bad… a bit bitchy maybe and she definitely needs to lighten up and learn to take a joke, but she wasn’t… evil.” Liv replied, stifling a yawn. When Emma just shrugged and made a non-committal sound, the girl smirked. “Clearly I’m not the only one who thinks she’s not all bad.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Liv rolled over onto her side with her back to the blonde. “Nothing… night, Em.”

“Night, kid…” Emma responded softly, frowning as she tried to work out what the teenager had meant.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day was Sunday and Mary Margaret had almost bullied her daughter into being back from the Sheriff’s Station for a family lunch. Emma rolled her eyes at Liv as she entered the apartment just before one and dropped down onto the couch beside her, immediately stealing the remote from the girl’s hand and flicking through the channels.

Liv didn’t complain. She was still slightly bemused by Mary Margaret and David’s immediate acceptance of her as part of the family. That morning, Henry had done the whole ‘she’s my big sister’ speech that he had given Regina in the diner the previous evening, while Liv had simply sat in the corner of the couch in total embarrassment. She had completely expected the couple to inform their grandson that no, she wasn’t his sister and she wasn’t part of their family. But instead they’d accepted it without argument. Mary Margaret had immediately swept her into the kitchen to help her cook, even though the teenager had never cooked a single meal in her life, while David and Henry played video games.

Emma opened her mouth suddenly, clearly determined to get whatever was bothering her off her chest. Before she could speak, her mother emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. “Listen, I was thinking. We should take Liv shopping this afternoon. She’s got even fewer clothes than you did when you showed up. She can pay us back when she gets a job… or not.”

As the woman smiled brightly at her, the teenager blushed, mumbling her thanks. She wasn’t used to this sort of attention and, quite frankly, it was freaking her out a little bit.

“Yeah, whatever.” Emma agreed, clearly not paying attention. She was still regarding the girl beside her with an intense stare that was just as unsettling as the situation.

“What?”

“What did you mean last night?”

Internally Liv smirked, but she kept her face impassive. “About what?”

“When you said that you’re clearly not the only one who thinks Regina’s not all bad?” Emma hissed, trying not to let her mother hear their conversation. “What did you mean?”

“Oh… nothing.”

“Liv!”

“Well… I just figured that seeing as you didn’t argue when I was saying she wasn’t that bad and you’re letting Henry go for dinner with her that you don’t think she’s evil either.” The teenager told her carefully, watching the blonde’s face for a reaction. “Why? What did you think I meant?”

“Nothing… I just didn’t know what you were talking about.” Emma replied quickly, avoiding her gaze.

“Is there something else?”

The green eyes widened slightly and then she frowned. “Like what?”

“You tell me.”

“There’s nothing. I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

Emma sighed and leapt up off the couch, as soon as Mary Margaret called that lunch was ready mere moments later. There was a thundering of feet on the metal staircase as Henry and David made their way down to the dining table. As the blonde headed away to help her mother, Liv followed slowly with a small smirk forming on her lips.

All through lunch the blonde woman pointedly avoided meeting the girl’s eyes. This just served to raise Liv’s suspicions and amusement further. She was pretty sure she was right in her assumptions and Emma’s behaviour was doing nothing to invalidate her theory.

Emma Swan had a massive crush on the Evil Queen.

“D’you want any more, Henry?” Mary Margaret asked, jolting the teenager from her thoughts.

Liv raised an eyebrow. “If he eats any more he’s not gonna want to eat anything when he goes out for dinner with his Mom.”

“Don’t be silly; he’s a growing boy.” The brunette mumbled, looking carefully at the carrots as she moved forward to scoop some onto her grandson’s plate.

Suddenly it occurred to Liv that that might be exactly what Mary Margaret was counting on. She had been less than happy when Emma had announced that they couldn’t have their family dinner that evening because Henry was eating with Regina. In fact, she had demanded to know whether her daughter had gone mad. A quick glance in the blonde’s direction told the teenager that Emma was thinking along the same lines as she was and she could barely hide her smirk as the Sheriff frowned slightly. She didn’t say anything, however and soon Henry had commandeered the conversation once more, chattering about various topics that interested him.

“Are you not hungry, sweetie?” Mary Margaret asked suddenly, nudging Liv gently with her elbow.

The girl dropped her fork, which had been toying with the food on her plate, with a clatter and turned wide eyes on the woman to her left. “Oh, no, I… sorry…”

“Hey, it’s alright.” The brunette soothed as Liv immediately began to shovel food into her mouth, not wanting to get into trouble for not eating her lunch. “If you’re not hungry, you’re not hungry. It’s fine.” When Liv frowned at her in confusion, hesitantly lowering her fork, she smiled. “I won’t be offended or take it as a criticism on my cooking skills.”

“Right.” David cut in as the teenager looked curiously at the woman beside her. “If we’re done Henry and I will clear up. You ladies go and relax.”

“We were going to go shopping, actually. Liv’s going to need new clothes and shoes and things.” His wife informed him, unaware of how uncomfortable the teenager beside her had become. “She can’t live in those clothes forever.”

“Cool, can I come?” Henry asked, to everyone’s surprise. He wasn’t usually one to volunteer for an afternoon spent at the mall. 

“You want to come to the mall?” Emma asked in disbelief, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow at her son. “Really?”

“Yeah… I wanna make Liv try on a dress.” He grinned.

The teenager shook her head firmly. “There is no way in hell I’m wearing a dress.”

“We’ll see.” Mary Margaret sing-songed, propelling her through the apartment door before she could argue.

With Emma and Henry in tow, the brunette led Liv around the clothing stores at the mall and somehow managed to persuade her into several outfits that ordinarily the girl would have avoided like the plague. The boy got his wish and laughed himself silly when Liv emerged from the changing room in a knee-length floral sundress and pale blue cardigan, looking as though she’d rather die than be seen in the outfit. Even Emma couldn’t help a laugh escaping from her mouth as she took in the cutsie outfit, teamed with Liv’s battered boots and the furious scowl on her face.

Mary Margaret, however, simply tilted her head to one side and fixed her with an appraising stare. “We should take you to the hairdresser too.”

“What? Why?”

“Your hair needs a trim.” The woman said firmly, reaching out and twisting a strand gently around her fingers. “It’s lovely, but it’s all straggly.”

“Gee, thanks.” Liv muttered huffily, retreating into the changing room and almost ripping the dress in her haste to get it off.

Several hours later, armed with numerous bags, the four of them returned to the Charmings’ apartment. Liv had reluctantly submitted to having her hair cut and, although she was loathed to admit it, it did look better. The hairdresser had taken a good six inches off the length and although at first Liv had been annoyed that several years of trying to grow her hair was down the drain, she had to admit that it looked better. It still hung several inches below her shoulders, despite Mary Margaret’s insistence that she’d look good with a bob, which was something the teenager was claiming as a small victory.

“Hey, now you won’t have to wear your hood up all the time.” Emma teased as they walked back into the apartment. The teenager had only agreed to let Mary Margaret buy her the sundress as long as she was allowed a couple of new hoodies.

“She doesn’t wear her hood because she doesn’t like her hair.” Henry informed them, rolling his eyes. He walked straight over to the TV and opened the DVD case that contained his newest superhero movie. “It’s because it makes her feel safe.”

Liv felt her cheeks growing hot as she felt three pairs of eyes burning into her. “I… it…”

“You don’t need to explain.” Mary Margaret told her softly, easily sensing her discomfort.

David reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “But you _are_ safe here.”

Unable to meet their eyes, she nodded slowly and indicated towards the staircase. “I’m gonna go…”

“Change out of those clothes,” The brunette woman told her, suddenly business-like, “I’ll wash them for you.”

Escaping up to Emma’s bedroom, Liv shut the door and leant heavily against it for a moment, before dumping the bags onto the bed. She frowned at them for a moment, still unable to shake the feeling that all of this was too good to be true. She was in a town full of fairy tale characters and magic and curses and she really didn’t fit in. And yet she felt more at home here than she ever had done in her life.

Slowly starting to remove her clothes, she jumped and grabbed a blanket from the chair in the corner to wrap around herself as she heard a tentative knock on the door. Making sure she was securely wrapped in the blanket, she opened it cautiously.

Emma smiled at her. “Hey, you OK?”

“Yeah… just… it’s a lot to…”

“Tell me about it.” The blonde smirked.

Liv smiled back. “Yeah, I guess it was even worse for you.”

“Just a bit.” Emma agreed. “Look… I know my parents are a bit… intense… but they like you, kid. Mom was going on about how she’s always wanted a granddaughter.”

“But I’m not–”

“Try telling her that.” The woman joked. When Liv didn’t answer but an almost terrified look crossed her face, she sighed. “There’s no pressure, kid; they’re not expecting you to call them Grandma and Grandpa and I’m _definitely_ not up for you calling me Mom. It’s just… the curse stole twenty-eight years of their lives and they missed out on that whole family thing. Now they’ve got it back and they just want it to be perfect.”

“So why do they want me involved?”

Emma frowned at her, understanding the issue at once. “There is _nothing_ wrong with you, kid. It’s your parents who had the problem; your parents and the idiots that saw kids like us as a meal ticket and nothing else.”

“Yeah?” The teenager didn’t sound convinced.

The blonde wanted to reach out and give her a hug, to tell her that everything would be OK now because she was with family and they would never let anything happen to her. But she couldn’t quite bring herself to show her feelings so easily. Instead she squeezed the teenager’s shoulder. Hesitantly she swept the strand of hair falling across Liv’s face behind her ear and smiled.

“Go and have a shower. I’ll take these downstairs to be washed.” She scooped up the girl’s discarded jeans, hoody and t-shirt. Seeing the sceptical look on her face she grinned. “I won’t let Mary Margaret destroy them, don’t worry.”


	6. Chapter 6

When Liv headed downstairs a while later she was dressed in brand new forest green skinny jeans, a white vest and a black zip-up hoody, the hood firmly in place on her head. She hesitated at the bottom of the stairs seeing the four of them squashed up on the couch watching Henry’s movie. Mary Margaret and David were sitting at one end with their arms firmly around each other. Emma sat beside them, one arm flung casually over her son’s shoulder to her right. Henry was balancing a bowl of chips on the armrest, his hand dipping into it frequently and his eyes glued to the movie.

As though sensing her presence, David glanced round and spotted her watching cautiously. He beamed at her and beckoned her over. Emma shuffled to the right, causing Henry to adjust his position so that he was practically sitting on her lap, leaving just enough space for the teenager to sit awkwardly between the two women.

When the credits finally rolled, Emma yawned and stretched before shoving Henry’s legs off her lap and standing up. She glanced at the time quickly before walking towards the door. “We’d better get going or we’ll be late for your Mom.” She told her son.

“Yeah… see you later.” Henry called to his grandparents as he hurried over to Emma and accepted his coat from her, pulling it on quickly.

“You coming, Liv?” Emma asked, guessing that the teenager would feel incredibly awkward left alone with Mary Margaret and David.

Nodding, Liv leapt to her feet and joined them, grabbing her new jacket off the hooks by the door and shrugging it on. With a round of goodbyes, the trio left the apartment heading along the street in the direction of Granny’s diner. Pushing her hands deep into her pockets, Liv listened as Henry and Emma discussed the movie they’d been watching, disagreeing over which superhero had the best powers.

Pushing open the door to the diner, they immediately spotted Regina sitting at a table looking impatient. Her eyes flickered to the clock on the wall above the counter, which showed that they were almost fifteen minutes late, but she didn’t say anything. Instead her eyes settled on her son and she smiled warmly. Standing up, she hesitantly opened her arms as though she was sure any attempt to hug the boy would be rejected. Her face was a picture of surprise for a split second as he wound his arms around her waist tightly, before she regained her composure and smiled again.

“Thank you, Miss Swan.” She said, almost softly. Then she cleared her throat. “I think I can take it from here.”

“Yeah… sure…” Emma shrugged and turned away. She caught the expression on Liv’s face as she looked between the two women and frowned, catching her wrist and pulling her over to the counter. “Ruby… can I get two coffees, please?”

Once the waitress had handed them a pair of mugs, Liv turned to the blonde curiously. “So… what’s the deal with you and the Mayor?”

“What d’you mean?” Emma demanded guardedly.

“Well… she’s Henry’s Mom and you’re Henry’s Mom… she’s the Evil Queen – allegedly – and you’re the Saviour. Henry told me that you’ve saved her life loads of times… that you protected her from everyone else.”

“Yeah well…” Emma shrugged looking awkward. “Like you said, she’s Henry’s Mom. Henry asked me to keep her safe.”

“That it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw that look between you just now.” The teenager told her meaningfully.

“What look?” Emma asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Really?” Liv asked, as though she couldn’t believe that the blonde apparently couldn’t see what seemed so obvious to her. “Fine, whatever… it doesn’t matter.”

The Sheriff looked as though she was about to demand an explanation, when Ruby came to join them, leaning over the counter and starting up a conversation. Almost two hours passed in this way, with the waitress moving away every now and then to serve a customer with all the enthusiasm of someone being asked to pull their teeth out with pliers. Finally a hand settled on each of the females’ shoulders and they looked at the space between them, seeing a beaming boy standing there.

“You ready to go, kid?” Emma asked, sliding off her stool and grabbing her jacket. “Did you say goodbye to your Mom?”

He nodded. “Can we do this every week?”

The blonde looked slightly wary. “We’ll talk about this when we get home, OK?”

“I’m gonna stick around here for a bit, Em.” Liv told her quickly as the mother and son moved towards the door. When Emma looked as though she was about to ask what possible reason the teenager could have for doing that, the girl nodded her head towards Ruby who was cleaning a table. “I was gonna see about a job.”

“Oh, right. Will you be able to find your way home OK?”

“I think so.” The teenager agreed with a smile.

As soon as the diner door closed behind Emma and Henry, Liv directed her gaze over to the Mayor. She was still sitting at the booth where she’d eaten dinner with her son, hunched over slightly and clutching her mug as though it were a lifeline. The intensity of her stare into it made it seem as though there was something particularly fascinating inside. Liv just watched her for a moment, wondering whether Ruby would attempt to clear the plates away or anyone would go over and talk to her.

When no one did and Regina didn’t move for almost ten minutes, the girl slid off her stool and carried her mug over to the booth. She slid into the seat opposite the woman’s and set her drink down with a loud tap. The Mayor jumped at the sound, raising her gaze sharply to glare at whoever had dared to join her.

“Hey, Regina…” Liv started. Seeing the woman’s eyes narrowing she sighed. “Your Highness, whatever. I just wanted to apologise for last night. The whole devil horns joke thing? I didn’t think you’d… I was just messing around. So I’m sorry if you got offended or whatever.”

“Why on earth would you think that I cared about anything you said, Miss Reilly?” Regina asked coldly.

The girl shrugged. “Fair enough. Just so you know, though, you’re honoured. I almost never apologise to anyone.”

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

“Cool.” Liv nodded and smiled, before slouching down in the seat and taking a long sip of her drink.

Regina eyed her suspiciously. “Was there something else you wanted? Or are you planning on bothering me for the sake of it?”

“You just looked lonely, that’s all, sitting here on your own.”

“Well I’m fine.”

“I know lonely when I see it.” The teenager told her softly.

“I’m fine.”

Liv shrugged but didn’t make any attempt to move, causing the woman’s scowl to deepen. The teenager was possibly one of the most insufferable, thick-skinned, annoying people she’d ever met. In fact, the brunette decided, she was second only to the Sheriff. And the two idiots that were Emma’s parents.

“Why is everyone sitting as far away from you as possible?” The girl asked suddenly, breaking Regina’s train of thought.

The Mayor frowned and then twisted her head a little to see what she was talking about. Liv was right; none of the tables surrounding the one they were currently occupying were in use, but all of the ones further away were. As she glanced over at them, several people caught her eyes and looked away hurriedly. Regina felt a slight pang in the region of her chest, but when she turned back to the teenager her smirk was firmly in place.

“Because they’re scared of what I might do to them. They’re all scared of _me_ , dear.” She told her, almost triumphantly. Her smile dropped a little as the teenager just gave a jerk of her shoulders and took another gulp of her drink.

“I’m not.”

“Perhaps you should be.”

“Why?” Liv challenged, tilting her head to the side and regarding Regina with a look of genuine interest.

Regina caught herself a second before her mouth dropped open in surprise. During Henry’s excited chatter over dinner the woman had learnt that this girl knew all about Storybrooke, the Enchanted Forest, the curse and the true identities of those around her. Liv _knew_ that she was sitting at a table with the Evil Queen. And yet Regina could tell that she wasn’t particularly bothered.

“I’m the...” the next word caught in her throat, but she forced it out anyway, “Evil Queen.”

“You’re not the first I’ve met.” The teenager informed her calmly. Seeing the curiosity that the woman was unable to hide quickly enough, she elaborated. “When I was thirteen I was nearly adopted. But then…” Her eyebrows furrowed and a slightly uncertain expression crossed her face. “I realised it wasn’t real… she wasn’t… there was something dark in her so I ran away.” As Regina opened her mouth to ask a question, Liv shrugged. “Also, when I was seven another foster mom killed her husband while I was in my room getting ready for school. I came downstairs and he was just lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor with a knife in his neck. She didn’t even mention it… just asked me whether I wanted toast or cereal and warned me to be good at school. She might not have been royalty, but she was pretty evil. It turned out she did it because he forgot to get milk.”

There was a long pause as Regina tried to get her head around what the teenager had just confided in her so casually. She had done some pretty terrible things and she had destroyed a lot of lives but she would never even consider doing that in front of a child… especially one that was, for all intents and purposes, hers. The thought of Henry walking into such a situation made her feel sick.

“I’m assuming they removed you from the woman’s care?” She asked, attempting to sound as though she didn’t much care either way.

“Nope, they started proceedings for her to adopt me.” Liv said with a completely straight face. When Regina was unable to stop her eyes widening in horror, the girl laughed. “I’m totally kidding. Yeah, they took me away and sent me someplace equally horrible… just without the murdering foster mom part.”

“Well, that’s…” The brunette was struggling to regain her compose.

She really didn’t want to like this girl, but she was starting to. Well, not _like_ , but resigned tolerance was starting to kick in. There was something about the teenager that seemed to call out to the damaged woman. Behind the mischievous sparkle in Liv’s eyes, there was a darkness that Regina knew only too well. There was also something incredibly pleasing about the way that she acted like Regina was just somebody she had met on the street – somebody normal. The woman couldn’t deny that it was quite nice to have an actual conversation with someone who wasn’t on eggshells that she was about to unleash a curse on them. Liv honestly didn’t seem the slightest bit afraid of her or what she might do. It was a novel feeling.

“I assume that it’s you who has been corrupting my son’s vocabulary, Miss Reilly?” She asked, attempting to turn the conversation back to something that didn’t unsettle her quite so much as the image of a seven-year-old Liv eating her breakfast next to a bleeding corpse. “It seems that he now uses the phrases ‘totally mental’ and ‘damn straight’ in practically every sentence that he forms.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” The teenager said, having the good sense to look a little apologetic.

“I’d prefer that, in future, you moderate your language around him.”

“Or what, Your Majesty?” The girl asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. “Are you gonna force feed me a poisoned apple? Or poke me with a poisoned knitting needle?”

Despite the ridiculousness of the teenager’s questions and the fact that she was showing the former Queen far less respect than she was used to, the brunette couldn’t help a laugh escaping at her words. A bright smile erupted across Liv’s face at the sound, settling into a smug smirk seconds later. Regina quickly forced her traitorous face under control and scowled. She knew she wasn’t fooling the teenager, but she furrowed her eyebrows anyway.

“Firstly, Miss Reilly, it wasn’t a _poisoned_ apple; it was cursed. Secondly, I didn’t force feed anyone; Snow White made a choice to eat that apple which, for the record, didn’t kill her. It simply trapped her inside her own body with only her regrets for company.” Regina paused, looking at the expression on the girl’s face with interest. She didn’t look disgusted or horrified by the information. If anything she looked mildly impressed. “And thirdly, it was a spindle from a spinning wheel, but that wasn’t even me; it was my dear friend, Maleficent.”

“Huh… you learn something new every day.” The teenager said with a casual shrug. “So it’s a _cursed_ apple I need to look out for, then?”

“I doubt it’ll be much of a problem for you, dear. I suspect that you’d spot an apple being added to your diet a mile off.”

Liv grinned and pushed her coffee mug closer to the centre of the table, reaching beside her for her jacket. “I’d better get going. Although I do need to talk to Ruby about a job…”

As the teenager gazed around the room, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as she realised she couldn’t see the waitress, Regina frowned. “You? Working here?”

“Oh, I know… I look far too classy to work in a diner.” She joked. Then she shrugged. “Emma wants me to get a job and anything’s better than nothing. Besides, as grateful as I am to Emma’s parents, the idea of relying on them for stuff isn’t one I can handle. It’s just a bit… much.”

“No, I see your point.” The Mayor agreed, distain creeping into her eyes for a moment at the mention of the Charmings. She watched Liv closely as the girl continued looking around for Ruby. Almost against her will, she suddenly voiced the idea that had popped into her head at the news that Liv was looking for a job. “Miss Reilly… I find myself in need of a secretary at the Mayor’s office now that I have my job back.”

Liv frowned at the woman, as though wondering what the problem had to do with her. “And?”

“Would you like the position?”

“Me?” The teenager’s eyes widened as though she thought the brunette was joking. “Are you kidding? I mean… I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“I never joke, dear.” Regina informed her seriously. “I assume you can read?”

“Only words with less than five letters.”

“You understand how to use a telephone and a computer?”

“You mean the talking machine and the box with words and pictures in it?”

“And how are you at making coffee?”

“Well I know where the diner is.”

Regina sighed deeply and rolled her eyes, wondering what on earth had got into her this evening. The stupid girl couldn’t even answer a simple question properly and yet here she was offering her a job. Regina refused to admit that it had been hearing that Miss Swan wanted the girl to find a job that had sparked the idea in her mind. Neither was it the fact that she found Liv and her indifference to who _she_ was fascinating. No, it was the thought of getting one over on Snow White and her Prince Charming that had done it.

“Right, that’s settled then. I have some things to deal with tomorrow before you start, so I’ll see you at nine o’clock on Tuesday morning. I expect you to be prompt and dressed… appropriately. That means no hood.” When the teenager just gaped at her, the brunette exhaled sharply and rolled her eyes. “I assume you _do_ want the job, Miss Reilly.”

“Damn straight I want the job.” Liv answered quickly. Seeing the expression on Regina’s face, she winced. “Sorry, your Mayorness… I mean yes, please.”

“Mayor Mills or Madam Mayor will do nicely, dear.”

“Awesome!” Sliding out of the booth, Liv shrugged on her jacket and beamed at the woman. “Right, I’ll see you at nine on Tuesday, Madam Mayor.”

She rushed from the diner, leaving Regina staring after her and wondering what exactly had just happened and whether she’d completely lost her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

Henry was already up in his room when Liv returned to the apartment. For some reason she felt like he should be the first to know about Regina’s job offer, so she didn’t tell Emma or her parents. Instead she just shrugged and said that Ruby had finished her shift and gone before she had the chance to ask about a job and that she’d try again the next day.

She sat on the couch with the Charmings and Emma for a couple of hours, watching television and wondering how they would take the identity of her new employer. If her suspicions about Emma were correct then she guessed that the blonde would be pleasantly surprised by the news. Mary Margaret and David, on the other hand, would almost definitely be far from happy with the idea.

Finally Liv decided it was late enough to excuse herself and go up to bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

The next morning she was woken at what seemed like the crack of dawn by Emma, who rolled over and kicked her awake. The teenager glared at her for a moment, before pulling the blanket up over her head to block the early morning sunlight from her eyes.

“Get up, kid.” The Sheriff ordered, already sifting through the pile of her clothes on the chair on the other side of the room for something to wear. “Mary Margaret’s got to get to school and I need to get to the station. You’ll have to walk Henry to the bus in a bit.”

“Hang on… If Mary Margaret works at the school her grandson attends, why can’t she just take him?” Liv moaned, burying deeper under the covers.

“Because she gets there way before Henry needs to and besides, he’s an eleven-year-old boy… he doesn’t want to go to school with his Grandma.”

Groaning loudly and making her displeasure at being dragged out of bed very obvious, she climbed to her feet and folded her arms over her chest, scowling at the woman who was hopping on one leg while pulling on her jeans. Emma flashed Liv a grin, almost overbalancing and causing the girl to smirk, feeling a slight sense of vindication.

“We really need to talk about this hoody thing.” The blonde muttered, her eyes raking over the teenager whose hair was already obscured by the familiar cotton covering.

Liv remembered Regina’s words about dressing appropriately and frowned again, realising that there was no way she’d be able to get away with wearing a hoody as the Mayor’s secretary. This led onto the conundrum of what exactly ‘appropriately’ meant. She thought carefully, conjuring an image of Regina in her mind; the tailored skirt suit, fitted shirt and heels. She groaned.

“It’s really not that big a deal, kid.” Emma told her, frowning and misinterpreting her groan. “You know what, if you wanna wear your hood up, wear your hood up.”

“I will, thanks.”

The blonde sighed, heading for the door. “I’m late; David’s gone already. Henry needs to be at the bus at half eight, OK?”

“Got it.” Liv muttered, climbing back into bed. “Half eight.”

“Liv!” Emma shouted in the teenager’s face moments later, making her scream and shoot out of bed again. The Sheriff laughed, striding from the room as Liv muttered insults under her breath.

Henry was sitting on the couch waiting for her when she eventually made her way down the stairs. He looked pointedly at the clock as she waved a hand at him and hurriedly made herself a coffee. She gulped it down, wincing as the liquid burnt her tongue and throat, before grabbing her jacket, nodding her head towards the apartment door and waiting for him to join her.

She looked sideways as they walked towards the waiting bus. “Guess who just got offered the job as your Mom’s secretary?”

Henry’s mouth dropped open. He stopped walking abruptly and looked at her. “No way? My Mom gave you a job? Why?”

“Because I’m freakin’ awesome, of course.” The girl replied with a nonchalant shrug.

“No, but really?”

“Oh, thanks…” Liv muttered. Then she shrugged again. “I dunno… we were just talking and I mentioned that I was going to ask Ruby for a job at the diner and… she kinda offered me a job as her secretary.”

“You were talking? To my Mom? Seriously?”

Liv frowned at him. “You know, considering that you’re her son you seem to find it really hard to believe that she could do something as normal as hold a conversation.”

“Because… what did you talk about?”

“Stuff… Evil Queens, cursed apples, foster parents.”

Henry’s mouth was still open. “Really?”

“Yeah… she’s not that bad. She’s actually got a pretty good sense of humour when she stops being a bit- an idiot. She even laughed when I asked if she was intending to poison me with an apple or stab me with a poisoned needle.”

“Are you sure you were talking to _my Mom_?” The boy tried to clarify.

“Of course I was.” She replied, rolling her eyes.

Henry looked at her curiously, as though trying to work something out. “And are you _sure_ you’re not… magic or something?”

Liv snorted in amusement. “Me? Magic? I don’t think so. Besides, you’re the one who was adamant I wasn’t in your book.”

“Yeah, but… my Mom doesn’t like anyone except me. And now you. You’ve only met her twice.”

“I think _like_ is a bit strong, Henry.” The girl told him quickly. “Tolerate is probably a better way to describe how your Mom feels about me. Besides, I reckon the thought of pissi- annoying your grandparents probably played a large part in the job offer.” She knew Henry had caught on to her hastily covered up cursing and shrugged at the smirk on his face. “How _do_ you reckon Mary Margaret and David will take the news about my new job? Or Emma?”

“They’ll probably think Mom’s trying to use you to spy on them or something.”

“Well that’s just stupid.” Liv told him matter-of-factly as they reached the school bus and the children queuing up to get on. “Now get on the damn bus and leave me alone.”

He grinned and waved at her as he boarded the bus. Liv watched as more children got on, noticing the expression on Henry’s face changing immediately as a group of boys started talking to him. She frowned, trying to attract his attention through the window, but he resolutely looked away from her and then the engine roared into life and the bus drove away.

Before heading back to the empty apartment, Liv decided to go for a walk around the town. It was mainly an exercise to see whether she could find her way around without help, but she also wanted a chance to think about all of the information that had been forced into her head over the past few days.

It took a couple of moments for her to realise that it had been two days since she’d come to Storybrooke; two days since she’d tracked Emma down. It felt like much longer. Liv always made a point of not getting attached to people or places; she could spend a year in a house with the same people without feeling anything at all when, inevitably, she was moved on again. But here, after just two days, she knew it would hurt like hell if she left, which she inevitably would.

Rather than concentrating on that realisation, which scared her immensely, she turned her thoughts to the situation at hand. Firstly, how was she going to trick Emma into admitting that she had a crush on Regina? Secondly, did Regina feel the same? And thirdly, the most difficult question facing her, how was she going to play cupid without getting her ass kicked by the Saviour and the Evil Queen. She doubted either of them would be happy if they caught her meddling in their lives.

These questions were rapidly dispelled from her mind, however, as she rounded a corner around which she was sure Henry had told her there was a pirate ship – Captain Hook’s, no less – and her eyes fell on a dark-haired boy sitting on a bench. He was kicking his feet dejectedly, his head bowed. With a sigh, Liv knew immediately that it was Henry and made her way towards him.

“So, little bro, what’s the deal?” Liv asked, dropping onto the bench to sit beside him and sending the boy a sideways glance.

“What d’you mean?” He asked, frowning at her once he’d recovered from the shock of her sudden appearance.

The girl shrugged, leaning back and tilting her face upwards towards the weak sun in the small hope of catching it. “Don’t you have someplace to be at… ten o’clock… on a Monday morning?”

“I’m eleven. I should be in school. You know that because you walked me to the bus.” Henry replied with the air of someone explaining the simplest thing to someone particularly stupid.

“I was eleven once… I didn’t go to school much either.”

“Why?”

Liv shrugged again, keeping her eyes averted so she didn’t have to meet his. “It was boring.” When the boy just made a muffled sound and didn’t look at her, she tilted her head to one side and scrutinised him closely. “Why aren’t you at school?”

Henry just shrugged. He swept his foot backwards and forwards over the ground below his feet, keeping his gaze fixed on the pattern the movement was making in the dust.

“You being bullied or something, Henry?” She asked in a gentler voice. The protective surge she felt at the realisation that this could be the case surprised her. He shrugged again. “What are… why?”

There was a long pause, but Liv didn’t interrupt it. She waited for Henry to speak, letting him take his time. “They tease me about my Moms.”

“Your Moms?”

“Yeah… they think it’s funny that I’ve got two and that they’re the Evil Queen and the Saviour.”

“Screw ‘em.” She replied with a shrug. He looked at her and she smiled. “You’ve got two pretty cool Moms there, Henry. They’re just jealous.”

“You think?”

She nodded, twisting on the bench to face him. “Yeah, I do. I mean Emma and Regina are… what are the moms of the kids that are teasing you, anyway? The woman who lived in a shoe? That teapot from Beauty and the Beast? The other one with the hair? Oh actually, scratch that last one; I’m thinking about the Simpsons.” She wafted her hands around as she spoke, knowing that she was taking absolute rubbish, but hoping it would cheer him up anyway. “Your Moms are the Saviour and the Evil Queen. Trust me; those other kids are jealous.”

Her words seemed to be having their intended effect, because Henry’s scowled faded slightly. “But they hate each other. And Grandma and Grampa hate my Mom and she hates them.”

“Well… maybe we can find a way to fix that?” Liv suggested hesitantly, not entirely sure whether that was possible.

When Henry looked up at her with his eyes filled with hope, her determination to help him rose. “Really?”

“Yeah, I reckon so.” She agreed. “But first we need to sort out these bullies. Come on.”

He hurried after her as she rose from the bench and started striding purposefully back the way she’d walked. “You’re going the wrong way. My school is that way.”

“Thanks.” She muttered, turning on her heel and walking back the way they’d just come.

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna show those boys that no one picks on my brother and gets away with it.”

“Your brother?” He asked, grinning.

Liv rolled her eyes. “Hey, you started it.”

“But… you can’t just walk into school and start beating up kids.” Henry pointed out, almost jogging to keep up with her.

“Yeah? Watch me.”

He grabbed her arm and forced her to stop. “No, really, you can’t, Liv.”

“I’m not gonna stand back and watch them bully you, Henry.” She told him firmly, frowning. “Emma stepped in for me when I was a kid and now I’m doing the same for you.”

“I appreciate it. But you’re gonna get into trouble.”

“So?”

“So, you’re my Mom’s new secretary. She’ll have to sack you before you even start if you do this. Please don’t!”

The teenager sighed deeply. Then she gave him a reluctant nod. “I’ll walk you back to school though and make sure they know I’m onto them. Don’t worry, I won’t actually _do_ anything.”

He nodded and they walked in the direction of the school slowly. When they reached the gates, Liv paused, leaning against the metal post and looking over the boy’s head at the students milling around outside the building. It was easy to spot Henry’s tormentors because they were watching the pair of them carefully. A couple of the group of boys were looking a little wary as the girl glared at them, but the tallest of the trio just watched with interest.

Shooting Liv a weak smile, Henry shrugged his backpack more firmly onto his shoulder and wandered towards the school. She waited for a while, watching to make sure the boys didn’t start on him as he made his way inside. Liv made it very clear that she was watching them, hoping they’d get the message that she knew what they were doing to Henry.

“Liv?” The teenager jumped as Mary Margaret’s soft voice sounded beside her. She’d been so focused on the boys that she hadn’t noticed the woman approaching. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh… I… Henry left his lunch at home, so I brought it over for him.”

“Right.” The woman smiled. “What are you up to?”

Liv shrugged. “Nothing much… I was planning on going to see Emma in a bit.”

“If you take her a coffee from Granny’s she’ll love you forever; she’s always complaining about the stuff at the station.” Mary Margaret said with a smile. They both glanced over to the building as they heard a bell ringing to signal the end of recess. “I’d better go. See you later.”

Watching her walking away, Liv decided to take her advice and headed towards the Sheriff’s station, via Granny’s diner. Ruby grinned at her as she placed the order, making conversation in her easy, interested way. The teenager smiled, deciding that she quite liked the tall brunette.

Ruby insisted on giving her directions to the station, not that Liv really needed them, before she headed there quickly with a takeaway cup of coffee in each hand. Emma beamed at her as she handed over the drink, leaning back in her chair and resting her feet on the desk. Liv dropped into the chair opposite and took a large gulp of her own coffee.

“What’s this in aid of?” The blonde asked, shaking the cup at the teenager.

“Can I borrow some money? I need to get some new clothes.”

Emma arched an eyebrow at her. “Really? I seem to recall we spent like three hours at the mall yesterday buying you new outfits.”

“Yeah, but I need clothes that I can wear to my new job.”

“You got a job? That’s great, kid!” The Sheriff told her with a broad grin. “But I don’t think you need new clothes to work at Granny’s; you’ve seen what Ruby wears, right? Or… what Ruby doesn’t wear. Besides, Granny will give you a uniform.”

Liv laughed, shaking her head. “I’m not working at the diner.”

“So, where?”

“Regina offered me a job at the Mayor’s office. I’m her new secretary.”

“You’re what now?” Emma’s eyebrows furrowed suspiciously at the teenager’s words. “You’re actually kidding, right?” When Liv shook her head, the Sheriff removed her feet from the desk and leant forwards. “Let me get this straight… Regina, as in the Mayor, offered _you_ a job working for her? Why?”

“Oh, charming.” Liv muttered. “I mentioned you’d told me to look for a job, she needed a secretary and so she asked if I wanted to do it.”

“But… Regina and… _you_?”

Rolling her eyes, the teenager smirked. “It’s not like she offered to adopt me or asked me on a date or something. It’s just a job, Em.”

Something appeared briefly in the blonde’s eyes, but before Liv could analyse the expression, it had vanished. “But this is Regina we’re talking about. She never does anything just because… usually she only employs people who are so far under her influence they’d do whatever she said.”

“Maybe she’s changed.” Liv said casually. “So can I borrow some money or not? Only she said that I have to dress ‘appropriately’ and I don’t think I’ve got anything she’d approve of.”


	8. Chapter 8

When Liv had left the Sheriff’s office in possession of her credit card, something that Emma really hoped she wasn’t going to regret, the blonde pushed her chair backwards and stood up. She paced the floor for a while, deep in thought, trying to work out what Regina’s motivation for giving the teenager a job was. Emma really did want to believe that she’d done it just because she could, but something inside her was nagging that it wasn’t Regina’s style. The two theories that seemed to make most sense were that she was planning on spying on them through Liv, or that she wanted to use Liv to get to Henry.

Shrugging on her red leather jacket hurriedly, the Sheriff dumped her empty coffee cup in the trash and left the station. She made her way quickly towards the Town Hall, entering the Mayor’s office without knocking. Pushing the doors open, she registered that the secretary’s desk in the grand foyer was empty. Emma hesitated for a moment outside the doors that led to Regina’s personal office, took a deep breath and walked inside.

“Sheriff Swan.” Regina drawled, glancing up almost lazily from the file she was reading at her desk. “How can I help you?”

“Why did you offer Liv a job?” Emma demanded at once, putting her hands on her hips and almost glaring at the brunette.

The Mayor stood up and moved around her desk without speaking. She strode to the cabinet on the other side of the room and poured two glasses of scotch, offering one to the blonde. Emma stared at it suspiciously for a moment, obviously wondering whether it was poisoned, before accepting it and taking a tentative sip; she was never one to turn down a free drink.

“In answer to your question, Miss Swan, I don’t suppose you’ll take the truth – that I needed a new secretary and Miss Reilly needed a job – as an acceptable answer?”

“No.”

Regina sighed deeply. “Then I don’t know what to tell you, dear. Think what you want to think; I know you will anyway, whatever I say.” The Mayor replaced her now empty glass on the tray and moved to stand in front of Emma, leaning backwards against her desk with her palms flat on the surface behind her. A small smirk twisted her lips as she saw Emma’s eyes darken a little and her tongue dart out to wet her lips. “Although I don’t see what business it is of yours, anyway. It’s between Miss Reilly and myself and she was more than happy with my offer. I believe her words were, ‘damn straight I want the job’.”

“Sounds like Liv…” Emma muttered, draining her glass and holding it out.

Reaching forward, the Mayor took it. Their fingers touched as Regina wrapped her hand around the crystal tumbler and neither pulled away for a couple of seconds. Emma’s eyes shot up to meet the brunette’s and they both gasped slightly as a bolt of something passed between them. Surprised, both retracted their hands quickly, causing the glass to drop to the floor, shattering as soon as it hit the ground.

“Really, Miss Swan, that was a gift from–” Regina started, covering up her discomfort with anger. She stopped abruptly as she realised the Sheriff had already fled. 

* * *

“Come on, Liv!” Henry pleaded through his mother’s bedroom door where the teenager had disappeared as soon as they’d gone back to the apartment, via Granny’s for hot chocolate and a chat with Ruby, once she’d picked him up after school.

Liv had gone straight to the mall with Emma’s credit card when she left the Sheriff’s office. It had taken her a while to pluck up the courage to go into any of the stores that seemed likely to sell the type of clothes that Regina would find appropriate. She knew the type of people that worked in them and she had spent more than enough time being stared at by them as though she wasn’t as good as they were. But she didn’t really have a choice and so, after buying herself some lunch to waste time, she choked down her insecurities and found herself flicking through the rails in search of something.

Finally, with a wince as she read the price tags, the girl carried several suits and shirts over to the counter and set them down. The arrogant-looking blonde assistant arched an eyebrow at her, running her eyes over the teenager’s jeans and hoody combo before scanning the labels and putting the smart clothes into a bag. Liv handed over the credit card, scowling at the woman to hide her feeling of inferiority as the blonde sorted the transaction, before stamping out of the shop. 

“You’ll see the clothes tomorrow.” She called back, scrutinising her appearance in the mirror critically, turning so that she could check it from every angle.

“But I wanna see it now!” He whined.

“It’s just you, right?” Liv clarified, moving to the door and laying a hand on the lock. When he confirmed that he was on his own, she opened the door and frowned at him, as though daring him to laugh. “Well? D’you reckon Regina will think this is appropriate?”

Henry’s mouth dropped open. “You look… you look… you look different.”

“Good different or bad different?”

“Good different.” Henry replied, although he didn’t sound completely sure. There was an odd expression on his face, but she didn’t dwell on it. Henry often looked as though he was trying hard to make impossible connections in his head. “You just… don’t really look like you. You look like someone else... someone… you look like… someone.”

“That’s a good thing, though, right? I mean, that’s what your Mom wanted?”

Liv frowned, not waiting for him to respond, as she returned her gaze to her reflection, smoothing down invisible creases in her black skirt suit and chewing her lip anxiously. The skirt fell just above her knees and tucked into it was a pale green blouse, over which she’d put on the jacket that matched the skirt. On her feet were a pair of black patent heels, much higher than she was used to. Liv had even attempted to do something with her hair, other than leaving it lying over her shoulders, twisting it into a fairly elegant knot and securing it in place with a large clip.

“Hey! You’re not wearing a hood.” Henry pointed out needlessly. “I can see your head.”

“You make it sound like something indecent.” Liv rolled her eyes. “I’m not sure I like being so… exposed. But do you think it’ll do?”

“Damn straight! My mom totally won’t be able to complain.” The boy assured her enthusiastically with a nod, although he was still looking at her oddly. Then he shrugged and flopped down on the bed as she continued to watch herself in the mirror. “What did Ma say when you told her? I’m guessing you told her, seeing as you used her credit card to buy this stuff.”

Liv took off the jacket and carefully put it back on the hanger, attaching it to the wardrobe, before kicking off the heels and sitting beside him. “She wasn’t exactly jumping with joy.” She admitted. “But she didn’t forbid me from taking the job either, so that’s a good sign, right?”

“Mmm…” He nodded slowly, obviously thinking hard. Before she could ask him what was on his mind, they heard the apartment door open and voices from the floor below alerted them to the fact that all three adults were back. “Come on; you gotta show them your new look!”

“It’s not a new look… it’s just for work!” She argued. “And they’ll see it tomorrow. Besides, Mary Margaret and David don’t know I’m gonna be working for Regina, unless Emma told them, and you said they’d probably freak.”

“Yeah, so you distract them with… this.” Henry suggested, waving his hand over her outfit.

She screwed up her face slightly, but his pleading expression was so sweet that she couldn’t find it in herself to refuse. With a deep sigh, she pulled the jacket on once more, slipped into the heels and gave her appearance a final check in the mirror. Henry smiled reassuringly at her, before leading the way out of the bedroom.

He motioned for her to wait out of sight, before leaping down the staircase and landing at the bottom with a thud. When his mother and grandparents turned to look at him curiously, he waved his hands towards the top of the stairs with a flourish and announced, “Presenting Miss Liv Reilly.”

Liv rolled her eyes at his theatrics, but made her way along the landing and down the stairs anyway, holding her breath and waiting for a reaction. For a couple of moments there was complete silence which did nothing but fuel her self-doubt. Afraid of what she might see on their faces, Liv kept her gaze trained firmly on her feet, waiting for someone to speak.

“Liv… you look… wow!” Emma muttered, surprise clear in her tone.

“You look so grown up!” Mary Margaret gushed, rushing forwards and forcing the teenager to do a twirl so that she could get the full effect. “What’s your new look for?”

“My new job…”

“You’ve got a job?” David asked, beaming at her. “That’s fantastic.”

“It’s wonderful!” His wife agreed. “Where is it?”

Screwing up her face and readying herself for the reaction to her words, Liv glanced up. “I’m the Mayor’s new secretary. I start tomorrow morning.”

There was another long silence and, somehow, this one made the girl even more nervous than she had been waiting for their opinions on her outfit. She looked at Emma, whose face displayed the same anxiousness as she was sure hers did. Henry, too, was looking warily at the couple who had yet to speak.

“You are going to _work_ for Regina?” Mary Margaret asked slowly, as though trying to work out whether she’d heard correctly. “ _You_ are working for _Regina_?”

“Yeah…”

“No. Absolutely not.” The woman told her firmly. “I forbid it.”

“You can’t just _forbid_ me from doing something.” Liv pointed out, trying not to lose her temper. She could feel it flaring as it always did when someone tried to stop her doing something.

“I can and I just have.”

David glanced at his wife, before looking at the teenager. “Liv, I really don’t think it’s a good idea. Regina is… she’ll have her own reasons for offering you the job.”

“I’m not a little kid!” She spat, her temper flaring at the almost patronising tone the man used on her. “I’m not like you. I wasn’t brought up in some big house or a castle or a palace with everything I wanted and needed. I’m not royalty like you guys. I know when I’m being used and I am more than capable for standing up for myself.” She glanced at Emma, trying to indicate that she wasn’t including the blonde in her words. “I get that Regina’s done some bad stuff and I get why you don’t trust her. But she’s never done anything bad to _me_ and, until she does, I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt. The way I see it, she’s not the only one who has stuff in her past that she’d probably rather forget. As far as I’m concerned she deserves to be treated the same as everyone else. I’m sorry if you don’t like it and if that means you want me to leave then I’ll find someplace else to go.”

A third silence followed her words as they tried to process what she’d said. Then Emma shrugged. “She’s got a point.”

“What?” Her mother breathed, whirling to look at her.

“I… Liv’s capable of looking after herself and… I don’t think Regina’s got any ulterior motives. For once.”

David frowned. “Oh, really?”

“I went to see her when Liv told me about it and Regina told me that she gave her the job because she needed a secretary and Liv needed work. And… I believed her.” The blonde admitted with a shrug. “So I reckon Liv’s got a point.”

Henry was staring at his mother with a curious expression on his face. The teenager watched him for a moment, before turning her attention back to the blonde and spotting a similarly strange expression on her face.

“Fine.” Mary Margaret snapped after a couple of moments. “Fine, do what you want. And I will be right here to pick up the pieces when Regina does something that _proves_ she can’t be trusted.”

She stormed into the kitchen and began banging appliances around as she started preparing dinner. David shook his head and went to join her, leaving Emma, Henry and Liv to exchange a look and go about their own business; the teenager to change out of the outfit that made her feel like someone else, the boy to make a start on his homework and the Sheriff to take a shower.

* * *

The atmosphere was strained for the rest of the evening and the next morning Mary Margaret and David barely spoke as everyone rushed around getting under each other’s feet as they prepared for their days. The schoolteacher left the apartment first, closely followed by her husband. Emma headed out to the station as her son and the teenager were eating their breakfast, which left Liv to walk Henry to the bus.

She felt incredibly self-conscious as they made their way through the town towards the stop where the boy would catch his bus to school. Henry seemed to be deep in thought as they walked and Liv was similarly distracted so they didn’t speak until they came to a halt beside the crowd of children chattering excitedly.

“Have a good day.” Liv said with a smile, ruffling the boy’s hair. She glanced at the other children, narrowing her eyes as they fell on the boys who had been teasing him. “They give you any hassle you tell me later, right?”

“OK.” Henry agreed. Then he smiled. “Good luck.”

“Thanks… I have a feeling I might need it.”

“No you won’t.” He told her seriously. “Well… you might need luck wearing those shoes all day.” The boy grinned, looking down at her feet. “But you’ll be fine with my Mom.”

She returned his smile and waited until he was on the bus before turning and making her way along the street. She hesitated as she passed Granny’s, before doubling back and buying two cups of coffee. Ruby let out a low whistle and gave her a curious look, her eyes taking in her drastic change in appearance, but when the teenager didn’t mention it, she didn’t either.

“Good morning, Miss Reilly.” The stern voice of the Mayor greeted her as soon as she walked through the doors into the foyer before the woman’s office. “You’re late.”

“I had to drop your son off at the bus and do you realise how hard it is walking in these things?” She asked, raising a foot and showing Regina her heels. Glancing down at the brunette’s shoes, she shrugged. “Actually, I guess you do, so scratch that last excuse.”

“Miss Rei–”

“I also brought you a gift.” The teenager grinned, holding out the takeaway cup of coffee.

  
“That’s not a gift, dear, it’s a coffee.”

  
Liv shrugged. “I paid for it and now I’m giving it to you, so it technically _is_ a gift.”

  
Regina growled irritably. “Miss Reilly I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue about this. Since you claim to have no experience of secretarial work, I suppose I shall have to show you what to do. Hopefully it won’t take too long, because I have rather a lot to get through today.”

  
“Yes Ma’am. Fire away.”

  
Ignoring the teenager’s words completely, the Mayor proceeded to walk her through what was expected of her. Liv listened carefully, surprised by the woman’s patience as she explained; even repeating herself a couple of times when the girl struggled to understand what she meant.

  
As Regina’s personal assistant – the teenager had changed her job title to make herself sound more important, much to the brunette’s exasperation – Liv was expected to answer the phones, take messages, make appointments, keep track of Regina’s diary, do filing and take notes when necessary, amongst various other tasks. The fact she would need to transcribe the minutes of Town Council meetings meant that she would sometimes have to work on Saturdays, but she wasn’t particularly bothered about that because she would get paid extra.

  
Once the Mayor had explained the complex computer system, she strode towards her office, turning and fixing the teenager with an intense stare. “I have a meeting with the Principal of Storybrooke Elementary at eleven about funding for their new library, so I’ll be out of the office for about an hour. You can take your lunch at twelve if I’m not back. Think you can handle being on your own?”

  
“I’m sure I can, Madam Mayor.” Liv assured her with a small smirk.

  
Regina nodded sharply, before heading into her office. A second later, her head reappeared around the door. “By the way, Miss Reilly, I’m pleased to see you took notice of my request for appropriate clothing and ditched that ridiculous hoody.”


	9. Chapter 9

About an hour later, Liv was gathering the paperwork Regina had asked for before her meeting with the Principal. The teenager had managed to almost wipe the files from the computer three times, but the Mayor didn’t need to know about that. She had also deleted all of the woman’s appointments for the next week but, luckily, they were written down in the hardback diary beside the computer on the desk so she could replace them before she noticed.

Just as she was retrieving the last file Regina had requested, the door opened and Emma appeared, grinning at her. She came to a halt in front of the desk and raised an eyebrow as she took in the girl checking through the pile of papers quickly.

“Em! What d’you want?” Liv asked as soon as she looked up and saw who was casting a shadow over her desk. There was a loud cough from the other side of the door to the Mayor’s office, which had been left ajar. The teenager guessed it was so that Regina could keep track of her and make sure she wasn’t destroying anything. “I mean… Good morning, Sheriff Swan. Do you have an appointment to see the Mayor?”

Emma looked amused by her formality, but didn’t comment. “No, actually, I don’t. But I’ve brought the crime reports she wanted last week and I forgot about.”

“Oh, cool…” Standing up, the teenager headed towards the office.

Emma reached out and glanced at her feet, mouthing ‘shoes’. Looking down, Liv realised that she was barefoot, having taken off the high-heels as soon as Regina had gone into her office. Henry had been right, there was no way she’d have been able to wear the shoes all day without a break. Slipping them back on, she poked her tongue out at the blonde and crossed the room to knock on the Mayor’s door.

“Sheriff Swan’s brought some crime reports for you, Madam Mayor. Shall I–?”

“Send her in.” Regina said, not even looking up from what she was doing. She raised her gaze to sweep over the blonde as she walked into the room. “I don’t have long, Miss Swan, so you’d better make it quick.”

Liv was tempted to hover in the doorway and watch the interaction between the two women, but the look the brunette shot her made it very clear that she should leave. Pulling the door closed with a click, the teenager sank to her knees and pressed her eye against the keyhole. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but there was no doubt in her mind that whatever it was wasn’t in any way hostile.

In fact, Regina had risen from her chair and walked around the desk to stand in front of Emma. Liv thought that they were standing far too close for it to be innocent and her eyebrows shot up as Emma’s hand squeezed the brunette’s upper arm gently. The smile that passed between them removed any doubts that there wasn’t something between the women. As though they, too, had realised that the smile meant something more than a smile, the pair immediately increased the space between them. Regina returned to her seat and dismissed Emma with a curt nod.

Seeing the blonde walking quickly towards the door, Liv rushed back round her desk and dropped into her chair, grabbing the closest thing, which happened to be Regina’s diary.

“Alright?” Liv asked casually as the blonde closed the door shut behind her.

“Yeah, fine.” Emma told her with a smile. “Regina said you can take your lunch at twelve? Swing by the station and we’ll go to Granny’s, yeah?”

Nodding, the teenager watched as she left, her mind working overtime to try and figure out how to force the blonde to do something about the obvious spark between her and the Mayor. She was still daydreaming when the Mayor’s door opened and the brunette appeared looking slightly irritated.

“Miss Reilly, have you got those files ready for me?” She practically snapped as she came to an abrupt halt in front of her secretary’s desk.

“Oh, yeah, sorry…” Liv scrabbled around for the paper wallet that held the paperwork the woman had asked for, holding it out with a bright smile. “Is there anything particular I should do while you’re out?”

Regina’s eyes moved over her for a moment. “Just make sure the office is in one piece when I return. I’m sure that’s not too much to ask?”

“Of course.” The girl agreed as the Mayor swept out of the room without a backward glance.

The next hour passed quickly, with several phone calls coming in from the residents of Storybrooke about various issues. Once Liv had made a note of the names and grievances, she found that many of the callers were keen to continue the conversation, obviously intrigued by the slightly chaotic, less formal manner of the voice on the phone. Instantly able to see through their attempts to find out more information about her, she was quick to deflect the questions and give the vaguest answers she could manage. It amused her greatly to hear the curiosity in their tones, but she did her best to remember that she was the Mayor’s secretary and had to at least attempt to act a certain way.

Just as she was about to go and meet Emma for lunch, Regina breezed back into the office. She paused in front of Liv’s desk for a moment, before placing something on the surface. The teenager glanced down at the two objects sitting side by side in front of her, before raising her gaze to meet the Mayor’s, confusion twisting her features.

“You mentioned that you don’t have a cell phone.” Regina explained bluntly. 

“Err… thanks, Regina... I mean, Madam Mayor, but I can’t…”

“Don’t mistake this for charity, Miss Reilly. This isn’t a gift; it’s a purely practical necessity.” The woman assured the teenager. “How am I supposed to contact you if I need you otherwise?”

“Right, of course.” Liv nodded, picking up the phone and looking at it.

“You remember how to redirect incoming calls to the office to your cell phone and how to switch the function on and off, I assume?”

“Yes.”

“Then I expect you to get that sorted before you go to lunch.”

As the girl nodded, still looking at the cell phone in her hand, Regina walked into her office and closed the door firmly behind her. Wondering whether she would have to charge the cell phone before she could use it, Liv switched it on. She grinned as the screen blossomed into life. Then she remembered what Regina had said about the call diverting and fiddled with the answer machine as the Mayor had showed her.

Then she put the charger in the desk drawer and grabbed her jacket, intending to leave and meet Emma. Pausing, she turned and knocked on the Mayor’s office door, waiting until she heard Regina telling her to go in.

“I’m just heading out… can I get you anything?”

Regina looked mildly surprised at the offer. “No, thank you. I have a lot to get through. Make sure you’re back at…” she glanced at the clock quickly, deciding to allow the girl the full hour she was owed for her lunch break, “half past one.”

Smiling, the teenager left quickly and headed straight for Emma’s office. The blonde was on the phone when she arrived and motioned for the teenager to take a seat while she concluded her conversation. Instantly bored by the half of the conversation that she could hear, Liv pulled out her new iPhone and started exploring the functions. If it was purely a practical measure as Regina had said, then Liv wasn’t sure why she’d given her such a high-tech phone, rather than a basic model. It was probably to do with image, the teenager decided.

“What you got there, kid?” Emma asked, putting down the receiver and grabbing her red leather jacket from the back of her chair.

“Regina got me a cell phone…” Liv replied, still slightly shell-shocked by the fact. “So that she can call me for work stuff…”

“No way?” The blonde frowned, holding out her hand for the device. She scrutinised it carefully before handing it back with a shrug. “Lucky you.”

“You think she’s plotting something?” Liv asked, arching an eyebrow cynically.

Emma frowned. “No… I don’t think she is…”

“What were you and her talking about in the office earlier?”

Liv could have sworn that Emma blushed. “Nothing much… I took her those crime reports and she was asking about Henry.”

“OK…”

“Let’s go and get some lunch.” The blonde muttered, seeing the expression on the teenager’s face and suddenly feeling the need to get somewhere public where she couldn’t be questioned anymore.

When Liv didn’t argue, simply stood up and pushed her cell phone into her pocket, they made their way to Granny’s and found a table in the corner. Ruby appeared seconds later, clearly dying for a conversation that didn’t involve her taking someone’s order. She demanded an explanation for Liv’s outfit, sliding onto the seat beside Emma and staring at her in disbelief as the teenager explained. Her jaw almost hit the table when Liv pulled out her cell phone and handed it to her for a closer look.

Emma excused herself to go to the bathroom, while Ruby stared between the teenager and the device in her hand. She shook her head in bewilderment, before tapping her number in, calling herself so that she would have Liv’s number and then handing the phone back to its owner.

“Why would Regina give you a job, let alone an iPhone?” The waitress demanded.

The teenager shrugged. “I reckon she’s trying to get into Em’s good books.”

“Why the hell would she want to do that?”

“Because they blatantly like each other.”

Ruby stared at her for a moment as though she’d grown a second head, before bursting out laughing. “Are you serious? Emma and… Regina?”

“The Mayor is exactly Em’s type.” Liv informed the tall brunette with a shrug.

Ruby wiped her eyes, reduced to tears by the thought. “You are joking, right? What would possibly lead you to that conclusion?”

“Apart from the woman being totally hot, Em’s always had a problem with wanting things and people that she shouldn’t. The Mayor… considering everything that’s gone on, Em definitely shouldn’t want Regina and so she almost definitely does.” The teenager reasoned, narrowing her eyes slightly at the waitress’ dismissal of her thoughts. “I know Emma Swan and I know that Regina Mills is her type. Besides, I think the feeling is totally mutual.”

Ruby shook her head again, laughing and unable to take Liv seriously. “Emma and Regina? No way! They hate each other! Whenever they’re anywhere near each other the tension is so bad that–”

“Tension isn’t always a bad thing, though, is it?” The younger woman pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “In a different context it’s definitely a good thing.”

“You’ve been watching too many movies.”

Still unconvinced, Ruby slid out of the booth and wandered away, chuckling to herself as she considered the prospect of the Mayor and the Sheriff feeling anything but hatred for the other. Watching as she took her place behind the counter, leaning lazily against it, Liv frowned. There had to be someone in this stupid little town who wasn’t completely blind.

* * *

“You’re late. Again.” Regina snapped as Liv practically sprinted through the double doors to the foyer before the Mayor’s office. Apparently the brunette had been waiting for her to arrive, standing in her doorway with her hands on her hips and a furious expression on her face. “Twice in one day; your first day, may I add?”

“I’m so sorry.” Liv gasped. “I spilt coffee on my shirt and went to change.”

Regina looked her up and down and saw that instead of the green shirt the teenager had been wearing when she left for her lunch break, she was now wearing a white one. She frowned. “So not only are you unreliable, you’re also unable to drink anything without spilling it on yourself. This isn’t looking promising for you remaining in your job for long.”

“I really am sorry… I just figured that you’d prefer me to be a couple minutes late to having a massive stain on my shirt.” Liv said. Clenching her jaw as she was forced to agree with the girl’s reasoning the Mayor turned, ready to stalk back to her office. Fighting to hide the smirk that accompanied her next words, the teenager slid into her chair. “Oh and… Emma says hi.”

Regina paused and stiffened slightly in the doorway. She didn’t move for a couple of moments. Then she turned to fix Liv with an almost furious stare, not giving any other indication that she had heard the last words. “I need the details of the planning application Storybrooke High School put in for their new gym. I also need to speak to someone at the Daily Mirror about advertising their fundraising activities. And if anyone calls about the parking situation by the hospital tell them we’re working on a solution. I do _not_ want to be bothered with that right now.”

“Yes, Mayor Mills.”

“Oh, and Miss Reilly?” The woman looked at her carefully, the hint of a smile breaking through her stern expression. “Make me a coffee.”


	10. Chapter 10

The apartment was empty and silent when Liv returned after her first day of working for the Mayor. She changed out of her smart clothes quickly, feeling much more relaxed as soon as she was in jeans and a t-shirt. Pulling her hair into a messy bun, she almost physically jumped as a loud beep from the dresser where she’d left her cell phone broke the silence.

Wondering whether it was Regina, demanding she do something else, the teenager checked the display quickly, frowning as she realised it was from Ruby. For a moment she considered what the waitress could be texting her about, before she opened the message and read through it quickly, rolling her eyes.

**_‘Are you still alive? Or has the Evil Queen cursed you? Ruby.’_ **

The teenager smirked, before typing her reply. **_‘I’m fine. The worst thing that happened to me today was ending up wearing my coffee.’_**

**_‘If you need a pick-me-up a couple of us are going out tonight. They almost never ID at the Rabbit Hole, so you’re welcome to join us.’_ **

****

**_‘Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. If I’m gonna survive tomorrow I think I need an early night.’_ **

It was incredibly kind of Ruby to invite her out with her and her friends, but Liv had never really been one for girly nights out. Maybe that would change over time, considering she’d never been one for family dinners or wearing skirt suits and heels before she came to Storybrooke either. But that evening she wasn’t in the mood for the inevitable questions that would be sent her way about Regina.

Feeling the need to escape for a while, she headed downstairs and scribbled a note to whoever got back first letting them know she’d gone out. She added her new cell phone number underneath with a small smirk, before grabbing her jacket off the hooks beside the door and leaving the building.

She pulled her hood up as she walked, pushing her hands into her pockets as she headed along the street and kicked a stone in front of her. It was starting to drizzle with rain and she raised her face to look at the sky, staring at the grey clouds growing steadily darker as the rain got heavier. In seconds she was completely soaked.

“Miss Reilly?” The familiar voice of her boss greeted her ears, accompanied by the sound of a car slowing to a halt beside her. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Liv answered quickly, her tone defensive as though she thought she was being accused of something. “Going for a walk.”

“In this weather?” Regina asked incredulously.

Liv shook her head, spraying water everywhere. “Well, obviously it wasn’t raining when I left the apartment.”

The Mayor sighed. “Get in the car.”

“What? Why?”

“Because, Miss Reilly, you’re going to catch a cold if you stay out in that weather for much longer and, as irritatingly unpunctual as you are, you have proved surprisingly adept at your job, so I would prefer not to have to find a replacement so soon after hiring you.” Regina told her, almost reluctantly. “So get in the car and I’ll drive you wherever you need to be.”

After pausing for a moment, the teenager decided to take the woman up on her offer. She was incredibly nervous about soaking the interior of easily the most expensive car she’d ever sat in, but Regina barely seemed to notice the girl dripping rainwater all over her seats. Catching sight of Liv shivering slightly, the brunette reached down and turned up the heating a little, before looking at her properly.

“So? Where were you going?”

“Err… I don’t actually know.” Liv admitted. Seeing Regina’s arched eyebrow she sighed. “There was no one at the apartment and I just wanted to get out for a while. I was thinking about maybe going to the playground, but obviously that’s not a sensible idea right now.”

“Why would you be going to the playground? You’re not a child even though you act like one.”

“Yeah… I thought Henry might be there.”

“He’s with his father.” Regina informed her bluntly, her grip on the steering wheel tightening. “I saw them going into Granny’s.”

Liv frowned. “His… what?”

“His father; Neal.” The Mayor’s eyes narrowed at the suddenly furious expression that had appeared on the girl’s face. She was almost rigid with anger. Intrigued, Regina pulled the car over and turned off the engine. “What?”

“Neal’s here? How? Why?”

“I don’t know the ins and outs, dear, but it seems that on a recent trip to New York things came out in the open and Neal returned to Storybrooke with Emma and Henry. It also appears that Neal, otherwise known as Baelfire, is the son of none other than Mr Gold, otherwise known as–”

“Rumplestiltskin…”

“Quite.” Regina agreed with a sharp nod. “I’m assuming from your reaction that you know the man in question?”

“Not exactly.” Liv replied, still scowling. “But I know what he did to Emma and… I’m gonna break his friggin’ legs.”

The Mayor was surprised by such a violent outburst from the normally mild-tempered girl who seemed incapable of taking anything seriously most of the time. She looked at her curiously, turning the words over in her mind. Evidently Neal had done something terrible to the Sheriff to elicit such a reaction from the teenager. This knowledge caused a tightening in Regina’s chest, which, in turn, caused a frown to appear on her own face. She wasn’t entirely sure why, although she told herself she was thinking about her son and his welfare.

“Why?” She asked softly.

“I… It’s not my story to tell.” Liv said quietly. “I’m sorry, Regina, I… it’s up to Emma to tell you.”

Regina couldn’t help a snort of disbelief escaping at the teenager’s words. “As if Miss Swan would tell me anything I asked her.”

Liv watched her for a moment and then shrugged. “Maybe you should try it?”

She almost held her breath as a myriad of emotions flashed through the brunette’s eyes at her suggestion. Finally Regina seemed to settle on irritation and she looked away, starting the engine and pulling away from the curb. “You never said where you wanted dropping, Miss Reilly. I don’t have all night.”

“The apartment’s fine…” Liv told her with a shrug. “Anywhere else and I’ll probably end up going to Granny’s and getting arrested.”

“Why do you hate him so much if Emma doesn’t?”

“She doesn’t?” The teenager raised an eyebrow. “She used to. If she doesn’t anymore then… she’s stupider than she looks.”

Regina smirked. “Really though, what’s it to you?”

“He messed with someone I… like. Not a lot of people have been there for me in my life and that’s fine because I get that it’s harder to feel anything for a kid that’s not yours…” She glanced sideways, remembering that Regina had adopted Henry. “I mean, a kid that you have for a couple of months at the most and then don’t see again. I don’t need anyone to be there for me, but Emma was and… he hurt her and I can’t forgive that.”

“Love is weakness.” Regina almost laughed bitterly, remembering words her mother had spoken so long ago.

Not understanding the relevance behind her words, Liv just shrugged. “Too right. Who needs it?”

She didn’t see the intense sadness that crept over the Mayor’s face as they pulled up outside the Charmings’ apartment. Climbing quickly from the car, Liv bent down to thank the woman. She was surprised by the hard, closed look that had appeared on Regina’s face.

“Get inside, Miss Reilly. I won’t take you having a cold as an excuse for you not to be at work tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Madam Mayor.” The teenager nodded, slightly confused by her hostility.

Regina didn’t wait for her to enter the building, before she drove away quickly. Liv watched the taillights disappearing into the sheets of rain that were still lashing against the road. Shivering, the girl made her way to the apartment, letting herself in and peeling off her sopping wet jacket quickly, hanging it on a peg by the door.

“Liv!” Mary Margaret exclaimed, appearing at the sound of the door. “You’re soaked!”

“Yeah, it’s raining.” She agreed with a smirk.

“Go and get changed and I’ll make you a hot drink. Cocoa?”

“No, thanks…” Liv shook her head quickly. “I can’t stand hot chocolate. A coffee would be good, though.”

The raven-haired woman smiled and nodded, moving into the kitchen as Liv jogged up the stairs to get changed for the second time in as many hours. She briefly wondered why no one had told her that Neal was here; that he was spending time with Henry. Even if she wasn’t part of the family she didn’t understand why no one had mentioned it. Surely it wasn’t the sort of thing that would just slip your mind. Then again, if they didn’t want to tell her, she wasn’t going to ask about it. She’d made the mistake of asking too many questions before.

* * *

The weather the next day was a stark contrast to the freezing rainstorm of the day before. When Liv finished work at five, she went home and changed, before Henry persuaded her to take a walk with him down to the harbour. She was slightly reluctant, still a bit annoyed that no one had mentioned his father to her. In the end, though, she agreed and the pair set off together, assuring Mary Margaret that they’d be back for dinner a little over an hour later.

“So, Henry, how’s things at school?” Liv asked, settling herself cross-legged on the same bench that they had been sitting on when the boy had reluctantly admitted about his bullies.

“Alright.” He nodded slowly.

“They leaving you alone now?”

“Uh-huh…” Henry agreed. Liv couldn’t tell whether he was telling the truth or not. She was about to press him for a better answer, when he spoke again. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Ouch!” She smirked. “You wanna watch yourself.”

“No but… you know I said you weren’t in the book? I think I was wrong.”

She shook her head. “You weren’t. I’m not in the book. I’m not a fairy tale character. I’m not even…”

As the teenager trailed off uncertainly, Henry tilted his head towards her, his eyes questioning. “You’re not even what?”

There was a pause. When Liv spoke, she was obviously trying to avoid answering his question. “I really like this bench, you know? It’s… it’s a good bench.”

Henry rolled his eyes. “What aren’t you?”

“Important.” She snapped, the word escaping from her mouth as though she hadn’t actually intended to say it. “I know you aren’t in the book either… but you still so, so important… you and Emma. I mean, she’s the friggin’ Saviour and you’re her kid… hers and Regina’s. I’m just… I’m no one. I’m just gonna stick around here until your family decide it’s time for me to leave like everyone else does. And that’ll be OK, because that’s just how my life goes.”

“You are… you’re important.” He assured her quickly. “You must be. I’m sure that there’s something… Apart from me, you’re the one person round here that my Moms actually _both_ like. And… This is going to sound crazy–”

“Really? Because nothing you’ve told me since I got here has been remotely crazy.” She reminded him sarcastically.

“Yeah… but this is even crazier.”

The girl raised her eyebrows, unable to imagine anything crazier than what she’d already heard since coming to Storybrooke. “Come on then; what’s this crazy thing?”

“I think… I think… my Moms… Liv, do you think they like each other?”

She eyed him warily, wondering exactly what he meant by his question. After all, he was an eleven-year-old boy; he could mean one thing, while she was thinking something completely different. “What?”

“My Moms… I think they like each other.”

“Surely that’s a good thing if they’re getting along?” She pointed out, deciding to take his comment at face value. “I mean, you’ll get to see more of Regina if her and Emma call a truce.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Although Liv had been wondering why no one else could see the obvious attraction between Emma and Regina, she hadn’t been expecting their pre-teen son to be the one to point it out. “What did you mean?”

“I think they _like_ each other… like Mary Margaret and David _like_ each other.”

“I can’t imagine either of your Moms getting that soppy.”

“Well no… but d’you think…”

“Yeah, Henry, I do.” She agreed slowly, nodding. “But…”

“I knew it! I thought I was the only one who could see it! But it makes so much sense!” He exclaimed happily. “I mean, they’re always saving each other’s lives and Emma sticks up for Mom and they stare at each other when they don’t think anyone’s watching…”

“And you’re OK with that?”

“Of course! They’re my Moms. I want them to be happy – both of them. I think that they’ll be happy together. Emma’s the Saviour and Mom’s the Evil Queen. It just… makes sense.”

“Henry… we had this conversation, remember. Your Mom isn’t evil. She just… made some bad choices. Good people do sometimes.”

He sighed. “Yeah, yeah… but you do believe me, right? They have to be each other’s true loves. They just have to be.”

Liv nodded again, before nudging him in the ribs. “True love might be a bit strong, kid. I know this is all like one big fairy tale to you, but… I mean, I do agree with you, but they’re not going to admit how they feel unless we do something. You know what they’re like better than I do.”

“So we’ll do something, Liv; me and you.”

“You don’t understand how much I’m hoping I don’t regret trying to play cupid with an eleven-year-old boy as an accomplice.”

“It’ll be great! It’ll be like a mission… we can give it a code name!” Henry enthused, almost bouncing up and down on the bench in excitement.

“Yeah, right, whatever…” Liv agreed, shaking her head slightly and wondering whether she’d ever understand the boy.

“What about… Operation Butterfly?”

“No way!” The girl vetoed the suggestion immediately. “I hate butterflies… they’re creepy.”

Henry stared at her incredulously. “What?”

“They are!” She retorted defensively. “What’s with the weird furry bodies and that slow flapping… it’s just… creepy.”

“Ok, so not Operation Butterfly.” He agreed, rolling his eyes. “What about… what animals mate for life?”

Liv raised an eyebrow, briefly wondering which of his Moms, if either, had given him the sex talk. “I dunno… I think swans, but that’s a bit obvious considering it’s Emma’s last name.”

“Yeah… let’s go and look it up.”

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her off the bench, running excitedly in the direction of the library. Liv rolled her eyes as she allowed herself to be pulled through the town, still thinking about how adamant he’d been that she _was_ important. When they reached the library, she waited as patiently as possible while Henry flipped through a huge book, looking for the information he wanted. As time ticked past, she began to drum her fingers in irritation against the top of the table they were sitting at.

“Here it is!” He crowed triumphantly, setting the book flat on the table and pointing to where he was reading. “Albatrosses, Anglerfish, Bald Eagles, Barn Owls, Beavers, Black Vultures, Brolga Cranes, Condors, Coyotes, French Angelfish, Gibbons, Ospreys, Penguins, Prairie Voles, Termites and Swans.” He listed as his finger ran down the list in the book.

“We cannot call it Operation Beaver.” Liv told him, trying not to laugh at how awful that would be.

“Why?”

“We just can’t, OK?”

Henry shrugged. “OK.”

“What about Operation Termite?”

“No.”

“Alright, Operation Bald Eagle… we can call it Operation Baldie for short and tell people you’re planning to shave your head.” Liv suggested, sniggering at the thought.

He sighed. “You have to take this seriously, Liv.”

“I am, I am!” She assured him, holding her hands up in surrender. “Why does it have to be an animal anyway?”

“Because all the best code names are animals; it’s just a fact.” Henry informed her as though it was common knowledge. “What about… Operation Angelfish?”

“Yeah, sure.” The teenager agreed easily, less interested in the name than the plan that went with it. “So, what’s phase one?”

“You tell me. This was your idea. And you do realise that if they work out what we’re doing they’re gonna kill us?”

Liv laughed and hoisted the heavy book back into its place on the shelf. “I know… we just have to make sure they don’t figure it out before it’s too late for them to get mad.”


	11. Chapter 11

For the next few days Liv and Henry plotted. They didn’t have much time to do anything about Operation Angelfish because when they weren’t at work or school there was almost always someone around or Henry was off with his grandfather or Neal.

Emma had finally told the teenager that Henry’s dad was back. Liv couldn’t help feeling that Emma had only told her because she didn’t have any choice after the girl had walked into Granny’s to see the blonde talking to a dark haired man and a bored looking woman. The expression on Emma’s face when Liv caught them talking about Henry was too incriminating for her to deny anything.

After the Sheriff explained who the man and woman were, Liv shrugged and told her it wasn’t any of her business. Emma looked surprised and, the teenager realised with a frown, a little hurt by her reaction. But still she didn’t want to get involved with Henry’s dad and his fiancée. It was Emma’s life, not hers and, if she and Henry managed to think of a plan that actually worked, then Neal wouldn’t be a distraction for much longer. On the other hand, she was wary that he might turn out to be the stumbling block in Operation Angelfish, fiancée or no fiancée.

Henry, noticing how the teenager reacted every time his father’s name was mentioned, decided to try to force Liv to tell him what exactly her problem was with him. Liv refused, saying that it wasn’t her business. Unwilling to give up, he persuaded her to go to a movie with him on Friday night and, having nothing better to do than watch television with Mary Margaret and David while Emma did a night shift at the station, she agreed at once.

Walking past the High School parking lot, Liv tilted her head at the sound of a motorcycle revving. She grabbed Henry’s hand and pulled him along behind her as she changed direction and walked over to see what was going on. A group of people were congregated, watching a couple of others riding around on their bikes.

“Who’re they?” She asked, nodding her head towards the figures.

“The Lost Boys.” Henry informed her. Liv raised an eyebrow in his direction at the wistful tone of his voice.

“Heroes of yours?”

Henry shrugged. “They’re cool. Mom and Emma don’t like them because they think they’re troublemakers.”

“The Lost Boys are from Peter Pan, right?” Liv asked, sounding more confident about this than she had about her knowledge of any other person she’d encountered. “I saw the movie. But they were cute little kids in animal costumes not… bike riding wannabe gangsters.”

“Ruby turns into a wolf.” He shrugged, reminding her that the truth was often very different to the stories she knew.

The girl was about to start questioning him further, when Henry’s eyes widened comically and his gaze immediately dropped to the ground. Liv frowned and glanced up, immediately spotting the reason for his strange behaviour. One of the gang was swaggering across the parking lot towards them, his hands pushed into his pockets and a bored expression on his face. As he got close enough, Liv could see the interest and curiosity in his eyes, however disinterested he was trying to make them think he was.

“S’up?” He drawled, coming to a halt in front of them. His eyes travelled slowly over Liv, settling on her face. A smirk appeared on his lips as she met his eyes, narrowing hers and holding his gaze. A moment later, his eyes dropped to Henry. “Hey… you’re the Mayor and the Sheriff’s kid, right? Henry isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” The boy squeaked, obviously thrilled that the teenager knew his name.

“Who’s your friend?”

“Liv.” Henry blurted. Then he seemed to pull himself together. “Jack, this is Liv. Liv this is Jack.”

“Aren’t you the Mayor’s little pet?” Jack asked, smirking broadly, his eyes running over her again. “That’s what we heard, anyway.”

Liv snorted derisively. “You heard wrong. I work for the Mayor, but I’m no one’s ‘little pet’.”

“And you live with the Sheriff?”

“What’s it to you?” She snapped, not liking his tone.

“You should hang with us… might keep the law off our backs.” He told her with a shrug.

The girl laughed softly. “Yeah, like _that’s_ going to happen.”

“Hey, Jack!” Someone shouted from the group on the far side of the parking lot. “What’s going on?”

“Come and meet the gang.” Jack suggested. When he saw that Liv was about to refuse, he slung an arm around Henry’s shoulders. “Come on, H. You’ll love them!”

Liv looked up and the sky and growled in irritation as the two boys started walking away from her. She had no choice but to follow, or risk losing Henry for the foreseeable future. Emma would kill her if he got into trouble, not to mention Regina. Spitting swearwords as she went, stamping her feet and jamming her hands into her jacket pockets, Liv approached the gang.

“Tom, Twins, Cubby, Tootles, Jaye… this is H and Liv.” Jack announced, pointing at each member of the gang as he said their name.

The only girl in their ranks eyed Liv suspiciously from her spot leaning against a blue motorbike. Liv glared straight back, refusing to feel uncomfortable under the bleach-blonde’s scrutiny. “The Mayor’s kid and her little pet?”

“Why is everyone saying that?” Liv snapped, looking at Henry as though he could give her an answer.

“Why else would you work for that bitch?” Jaye snarled.

“She’s _not_ a bitch!” Liv growled back. “Call her that again and I’ll smack that pretty little smirk right off your face.”

“Liv…” Henry tugged on her arm, gazing up at her wide-eyed. He had never seen her so wound up before, not even when she was in the same room as his dad. The boy was slightly worried about what she might do.

The blonde laughed. “I’d like to see you try. I bet you fight like a little girl.”

“Yeah?” Liv arched an eyebrow and looked the other girl up and down almost in amusement. “Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea.”

“Liv!” Henry tried again.

This time she looked down at him and realised that he was actually scared. She sighed deeply and gave him a sharp nod. “Alright, Henry. Let’s go and catch that movie.”

“Hey! Don’t go ‘cos of Jaye and her big mouth.” One of the others complained. Liv couldn’t remember which one he was but, judging by the fact that the boy next to him was identical, she guessed he was one of the twins.

“As if… I’m going because I promised Henry we’d go to the movies.” Liv shot back.

“We’ll see you around then?” Jack asked, smirking at her and leaning beside Jaye against the bike.

“Maybe…”

Liv practically clamped her hand around Henry’s bicep and dragged him back across the parking lot. She didn’t speak until they had rounded the corner and were walking along the street in the direction of the movie theatre. Finally Liv let go of the boy’s arm, but she still didn’t speak. Instead she marched along the sidewalk in silence, her hands buried in her pockets and her head bowed. Her hood was up for the first time in days.

“Liv…” Henry started slowly, sounding unsure of how she’d react. “Would you really have fought Jaye because of what she called my mom?”

“Yeah… and I’d have kicked her ass too…”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not exactly the first fight I’ve–”

Henry shook his head. “No, I mean… why would you do that for my mom? I mean… she is kind of a bitch.”

“Hey!” The teenager snapped. “Don’t you dare!” Henry mumbled an apology, a blush spreading over his cheeks. Liv knew he didn’t really mean it and was still having trouble reconciling the character of the Evil Queen from his storybook with the woman who was his mom. “In answer to your question I just… I have this thing about defending people who can’t defend themselves… probably ‘cos I got beat up so many times when I was a kid. Your mom wasn’t here and that Jaye bit- girl had no right to badmouth her. Who is she, anyway? I thought the Lost Boy were… well, boys.”

“You remember Wendy, right?” Henry asked and she nodded with a frown. “Well, Jaye’s her daughter. Somehow she ended up in Neverland just before Mom’s curse hit. She was called Jane before.”

“Oh… and… which one’s which? I don’t remember a Lost Boy called Jack.”

“When the curse lifted, some people decided to keep their Storybrooke names and others wanted their old names back. Jack kept his Storybrooke name, because he thought it was better than Slightly. Tom kept his too, because he didn’t like Nibs.”

“Fair enough…”

There was a pause and then the boy turned to look at her with a mischievous grin. “You got in fights? How many? Did you ever break someone’s nose?”

“Oh… loads. I usually ended up getting in trouble. This one time I saw these kids destroying an old lady’s garden. She couldn’t do anything to stop them, so I got involved… ended up with four cracked ribs.”

“You’re so cool…” Henry breathed.

Liv snorted. “No, Henry, I’m an idiot.” She corrected, shaking her head and propelling him towards the theatre. “But if you tell your mom or Emma I defended Regina I _will_ end you.”

“Why?” He looked totally confused. “It’s a good thing, right?”

“I learn from my past, Henry. I once told a foster mom I liked living with her and two weeks later I was out of there. Another time I stood up for my foster parents’ kid in a fight at school and they shipped me out so fast I never got to say goodbye to her.”

“But… that’s stupid! And it’s not gonna happen. They won’t send you away.”

She shook her head, refusing to look at him. “That’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”

* * *

On Saturday Liv was supposed to be taking Henry to the playground, their cover for working on their plan. Regina had phoned up on Friday night as they were making their way home after the movie, however, informing the teenager that there was an emergency council meeting about the parking situation at the hospital the next morning. Liv knew that the whole thing was driving the Mayor mad; with residents phoning up almost constantly to complain about the congestion the building work going on to extend the parking lot was causing. 

Throughout the meeting Liv sat beside Regina, taking notes on what was being said. There was no way she could write quickly enough to capture everything, so she’d borrowed a Dictaphone from Mary Margaret, who had one for school. The Mayor had raised an eyebrow at her when she’d explained her plan, obviously impressed by her initiative, although she hadn’t said anything. She merely nodded and stalked into the council office, taking her place at the head of the table.

After an hour of the conversation seemingly going round in circles, Liv stifled a yawn and uncrossed her legs, switching them over and rolling her ankles to bring the circulation back. Glancing to her right, she was slightly amused to see Regina leaning back in her seat with an almost glazed expression on her face. To anyone sitting further away from the Mayor than the teenager was it probably looked as though she was merely considering the various options. Liv could tell, though, that the brunette was watching Emma carefully. The blonde was resting her chin on her hand and looking incredibly bored by the entire situation.

Regina glanced sideways and caught the teenager watching her. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, before her lip twitched almost imperceptibly into a smirk and she stood up. The assembled men and women around the table jumped at the sound of her chair legs scraping on the floor, eyeing her warily. Emma didn’t move apart from her eyes, which followed the brunette’s movement closely from behind a strand of her hair that had fallen over her face.

“Gentlemen, ladies,” A twinkle appeared in the Mayor’s eyes as she regarded Emma, evidently choosing to class her as neither, “Sheriff, I think we deserve a little break.” She suggested smoothly. “If you give your order to my assistant she’ll go to Granny’s and get some coffees.”

Liv resisted the urge to shoot her a sarcastic comment knowing that, while Regina might allow her to get away with such things when it was just the two of them, she would not be impressed if the teenager made any such comments in front of the Town Council. Instead she passed round a piece of paper to collect the orders, before shooting the Mayor a sarcastic smile and leaving.

“Hey Rubes, can I get… actually, here’s a list.” She muttered, perching on a stool at the counter and sliding the paper towards the waitress. Then she remembered that neither she nor Regina had added their orders. “Oh and two black coffees, please. Put it on the Mayor’s tab.”

“What’s all this in aid of? You having some kind of weird caffeine party with the Evil Queen?”

“Don’t.” Liv ordered, shaking her head. “Don’t call her that. She’s alright when you get to know her. Mostly, anyways.”

“Oh, yeah, ‘cos you’re her little pet now, aren’t you?” The waitress asked, but the sparkle in her eyes reassured her friend that she was just teasing. Liv glared at her anyway, tired of hearing that description of herself. At her annoyance, the older girl exhaled and reached out a hand to cover the one Liv had curled into a fist on the counter. “Look… I don’t get why you want to work for her, let alone defend her, but that’s your choice. As long as you don’t betray your friends… it’s fine.”

“Ruby… I don’t actually _need_ your permission to do anything.” The girl snapped, snatching her hand away and not taking in the fact that Ruby had mentioned her having friends. “Besides, I have no cause to betray anyone. Regina wouldn’t ask me to.”

Placing two trays side by side on the counter, Ruby started lining up takeaway cups on them, checking them off on the list as she did so. Once all the drinks were accounted for, the waitress walked around the counter and picked up one of the trays. When Liv looked at her questioningly, she just smiled.

“You can’t carry all of these on your own, can you?” She reasoned.

Smiling gratefully, the teenager picked up the second tray and followed Ruby out of the diner. They made it to the Town Hall without dropping any of the cups and entered the Council Room. There was almost a stampede as the girls set their trays down, which was only halted by Liv shouting over the sudden commotion. She then proceeded to call out the contents of the cups and hand them out in an orderly fashion. Finally only hers and Regina’s were left and Ruby collected the trays and left.

“Nicely done, Miss Reilly.” Regina praised in a very low voice as the teenager handed her the last cup. With an almost proud smile she turned away and began a conversation with a bald man in a badly fitting suit who looked incredibly dull.

“Hey, what did Regina say to you?” Emma asked, sidling over to the teenager and nodding her head towards the brunette.

“I _think_ it might have been a compliment…” The teenager grinned at her.

Emma arched an eyebrow. “Shit…”

“I know, right!” Liv laughed. Then she glanced around to make sure they weren’t likely to be overheard. “Do you realise she was staring at you through pretty much the entire meeting?”

“Don’t be stupid, kid… although she might have been looking for more reasons to find me irritating.”

“Yeah? Is that why you were staring at her too?”

Before the blonde could reply, Regina called the meeting back to order and everyone took their seats. After that, Emma made a point of staring at anything but Regina, which told Liv that she was right.

* * *

“We need to get them alone so they can admit their feelings.” Henry announced on Monday afternoon, not even greeting Liv as he appeared through the door from the corridor and dropped onto the couch along the wall opposite her desk.

  
“Henry!” The teenager exclaimed. “You can’t just barge in here and start talking about Operation Angelfish! I work for your Mom, remember?”

  
“I waited ‘til she left.” He assured her with a shrug.

  
“What if she comes back?”

  
“Will she?”

  
Liv shrugged. “Probably not; she’s got a meeting with Dr Whale until five.”

  
“So it’s fine.” He pointed out. When she nodded and moved to sit beside him on the couch, revealing her bare feet, he grinned. “I knew you didn’t wear your shoes all the time.”

  
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She rolled her eyes and shrugged off her jacket, draping it over the arm of the couch without a second thought. Then she rested her head on the fabric behind her and let out a long, deep breath. “So what’s your plan?”

  
“Well… I’ve talked to both of them and it’s pretty obvious that they’re not going to admit to anything unless they’re on their own, so we need to force them to be somewhere where no one will interrupt them.” He pointed out. “We could… we could lock them in the Sheriff’s office?”

  
Shaking her head, Liv screwed up her face. “That won’t work because they’ll just call for help. Even if we manage to take out the phones they’ve still got their cells. And, if we did manage to take out the phones, we'd probably get arrested.”

  
“OK, so not the station. What about here?” Henry suggested.

  
“Same problem… probably even less likely to work.”

  
“So it’ll have to be either the apartment or Mom’s house.” The boy said slowly. “I think Mom’s house is better… it’ll be too hard to make sure Grandma and Grandpa don’t burst in on them. How do we get Ma there, though?”

  
“How do we get Regina to invite her inside?” Liv added.

  
“We could make Emma think Mom had kidnapped me?”

  
The girl raised an eyebrow. “We’re trying to get them together, not start a war. It’s gotta be subtle, Henry.”

  
“What about… we could…” He frowned, screwing up his face in deep concentration. “We could sabotage the bug so that Ma breaks down outside Mom’s house and then… then she’d have to go and ask for help and Mom would let her in and…”

  
“Woah! Slow down!” Liv laughed, his words swirling around in her head. “That’s actually a pretty good plan. Except how are we gonna make sure the bug dies outside Regina’s and Emma goes to ask for help rather than just calling David or the garage on her cell?”

  
Henry furrowed his eyebrows. “We have to steal her cell and… what if she was already going to Mom’s? What if she was going there to pick me up…?”

  
“… but when she gets there you’ve already gone! Henry! You're a genius!” Liv told him with a grin. “And she won’t be able to leave when she realises you’re not there because the bug won’t work, so she’ll have to hang out with Regina!”

  
They laughed delightedly, high-fiving their success.

  
“If this works it’s going to be brilliant.” Liv said shaking her head slightly as she considered the possible outcomes.

  
“Damn straight it will.” Henry agreed.

  
The teenager glanced sideways at him. “Yeah, so your mom asked me to stop you saying stuff like that.”

  
“Why?”  
  
“Because it’s corrupting your vocabulary or something, so please stop in case she decides to stab me with a poisoned spike or something equally horrible.” She wafted a hand at him as he opened his mouth to point out her mistake. “Yes, I know it was Maleficent who did that, not Regina, and that it was a spinning wheel spindle not a spike.”

  
“Have you been doing research?” Henry asked curiously, impressed that she knew the truth. “Or has your memory come back?”

  
Liv shook her head and sighed. “I haven’t _lost_ my memory, Henry. I’m _not_ a character in your book. I know because your mom told me during that conversation we had at Granny’s when she offered me my job.”

  
“You can borrow my book if you want? Then you won’t make any more mistakes.”

  
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m still living in hope that Captain Jack Sparrow will walk through those doors one of these days with a complaint about the restrictions down in the harbour.”

  
Henry rolled his eyes, sighed deeply and shook his head. He didn’t even bother to point out that it was highly unlikely that she would ever get her wish. Instead he picked up his backpack. “I’d better get going. I was supposed to meet Grandpa after school but I wanted to discuss Operation Angelfish first.”

“Where does he think you are?”

“At Nicholas and Ava’s.”

Liv tilted her head slightly as she assessed him. “Nicholas and Ava? They friends of yours? How’re things at school? Has the bullying stopped?”

“Yeah… you scared them off without even doing anything!” Henry told her proudly. “Nicholas invited me over for a sleepover at the weekend!”

  
“That’s great!” She beamed at him, ruffling his hair. “Listen, can you let Mary Margaret know I won’t be back until about six? Your Mom wants to go over some stuff when she gets back from her meeting.”

  
Henry nodded as he headed for the door and Liv made her way round her desk and wiggled the computer mouse to wake the screen. The boy paused with his hand on the doorknob for a moment, watching her shuffling papers in her search for the one she needed to check against the document on her computer.

  
“I thought you were leaving?” Liv asked, catching sight of him watching her out of the corner of her eye.

  
“I was just wondering… are you actually good at your job? Or does my Mom just keep you around as some kind of care in the community thing?”

  
“Get lost, rat boy.” She smirked, throwing one of her discarded shoes in his direction. It hit the wall beside Henry’s head as he disappeared into the hallway with a peal of laughter, pulling the door closed behind him.

As it turned out, Regina did get back from her meeting early. Less than fifteen minutes after Henry left, the doors opened and the Mayor walked in. She seemed to be in a pretty bad mood, so the teenager kept the sarcastic comment that had been on the tip of her tongue to herself.

“Miss Reilly, I need the financial reports about Dr Whale’s substance abuse support programmes on my desk right now.” The woman snapped, barely shooting the teenager a glance as she stalked past.

“Of course… which ones?”

Regina stopped and whipped round, scowling. “All of them, Miss Reilly. If I had only wanted one specif–” She stopped abruptly as her eye fell on the girl’s discarded shoe, still lying beside the door where she had thrown it. “Miss Reilly, would you care to explain why one of your shoes is several feet away from where it should be?”

“Err… I…”

Narrowing her eyes, the woman looked around and saw Liv’s jacket lying carelessly on the couch. In a second she had crossed back to the desk and rested her palms flat on the surface, glaring at the teenager. Her voice was dangerously low when she spoke next. “Why are your clothes strewn around the room? Did you have someone in here while I was at my meeting?”

“Yes… I mean no.” Liv floundered, disarmed by the furious flashing of the Mayor’s eyes. She wanted to tell Regina that she was overreacting to bare feet and no jacket, but she couldn’t find the words. “I mean, yes I did, but it’s not what you think.”

“Oh, and what do you imagine I’m thinking?”

“That I was having sex in the office.” Liv replied bluntly. If she hadn’t been trying desperately to think of a reason for Henry to have been here without Regina getting wind of the fact that they were plotting something, the scandalised expression on the brunette’s face would have made her burst out laughing.

“Miss Reilly!”

“But I wasn’t. I _really_ wasn’t. Henry was here.”

At once Regina’s expression changed. “Henry?”

Liv nodded quickly. “Yeah… he came to ask me something and we had a talk on the couch and… I threw my shoe at him.”

Glossing over the fact that the teenager had apparently attempted to injure her son, Regina straightened up, folding her arms over her chest. The movement was obviously intended to help her regain some of her composure, but Liv realised instantly that it was a defence mechanism too.

“Did… did he ask… if I was here?”

“No.” Liv replied before she thought about it. Seeing Regina’s face fall, she backtracked hurriedly. She didn’t want the woman to think her son wasn’t bothered about her and, if she couldn’t tell her that she’d been the focus of their conversation, she could at least try and make her feel a bit better. “But he came to ask me something that could easily have waited until I got back to the apartment and he definitely looked disappointed when I told him you were out in a meeting. I think he was hoping to see you.”

“Oh…” There was a long pause and then, with something that sounded suspiciously like a sniff, Regina straightened up and walked towards her office door. “Those reports, Miss Reilly?”

Liv nodded and quickly found the information she wanted before she retrieved her shoes, not wanting to annoy Regina any more by going into her office barefoot. When she placed the folders on the Mayor’s desk, she hesitated for a moment, convinced that the brunette’s eyes were a little red. Regina glanced up and asked whether she wanted something, forcing Liv to shake her head quickly and retreat before the woman got angry again.


	12. Chapter 12

Now that they had their plan sorted in their minds, Liv and Henry wasted no time in putting it into action and the boy pleaded with his blonde mother to be allowed to go to his brunette mother’s house for dinner. At first Emma was reluctant but when Henry told her that he missed Regina’s home-cooked meals she relented. The boy smirked at Liv over Emma’s shoulder as she hugged him tightly, before going to make the call to the Mayor. She had insisted on being the one to suggest it to Regina and both Henry and Liv privately thought that it was because she wanted the brunette to think it was her idea to let their son go over.

All day Friday, the day it had been arranged that Henry was going over for dinner, the Mayor was in a brilliant mood. She actually smiled at Liv when she arrived for work, despite the fact that the teenager was nearly twenty minutes late after being splashed by a car on her way to the Town Hall and had doubled back to the apartment to change. Regina didn’t seem to notice the time, or didn’t much care, sending the girl straight back out to pick up coffee from Granny’s.

Before five o’clock even arrived, Regina was practically unable to remain in her seat for longer than a couple of minutes. Liv frowned curiously as she caught sight of the woman pacing her office through the partially open door that usually separated them. Regina paused for a moment in her pacing, before turning and striding towards her. She stopped in front of Liv’s desk.

“I’ve decided to go home early.” She announced. “So you can too.”

“Oh… great, thanks!” The teenager beamed, quickly saving the work she’d been doing on the computer and switching it off in case the woman changed her mind.

“And Henry will be over at six for dinner?” Regina asked, almost warily, as though she was expecting Liv to inform her it had been a joke.

“Yup.” Liv agreed with a firm nod. “It’ll probably be me dropping him off because I think Emma said she had to work late and, let’s face it, Mary Margaret and David aren’t exactly pleased about the whole thing.”

Something that looked remarkably like disappointment appeared in Regina’s eyes for a moment at the mention of Emma working late. It was quickly replaced by amusement at the realisation that she was getting one over on the Charmings.

“Lovely.” She said with a smile. “Oh, and Miss Reilly? Just to clarify, you are _not_ invited to dinner.”

The teenager laughed. “Really? Damn it, Henry said you’re an awesome cook.”

They walked from the building together, before a fleeting smile passed between them beside Regina’s car. Then the Mayor rearranged her face into something more appropriate for public view and climbed into the vehicle. Almost as soon as she was safely inside, the heavens opened and it started to pour with rain.

Liv sighed deeply, gazing upwards, before turning to walk in the direction of the apartment. She had only taken a couple of steps, when the Mayor’s car slowly to a halt beside her and the window slid down.

“Get in, Miss Reilly.” Regina ordered.

Not wanting to argue and risk the brunette driving away without her, Liv hastily got into the passenger’s side. She smiled gratefully at the woman as the heating blasted from the vents on the dashboard, contrasting with the cold outside.

“Six o’clock.” Regina reminded her as they drew up outside the apartment building. “Try not to be late for once, Liv.”

It wasn’t until the teenager was heading up the stairs to change out of her sopping wet clothes that she realised that Regina had called her by her first name. She paused for a moment, shaking her head in slight disbelief, before laughing softly to herself.

“Liv?”

“Shit, Henry!” The teenager jumped, almost losing her footing on the staircase. “You scared the crap out of me! I mean… don’t tell your moms I swore at you, right?”

“Why were you laughing?” He asked, completely ignoring her request.

“Your mom…” She shook her head again. “It doesn’t matter. Give me a minute to change and then we’ll discuss Operation Angelfish, OK?”

He nodded eagerly and followed her up the stairs. While she went into Emma’s room to change, he went into his own to wait for her impatiently. She appeared, less than five minutes later, in jeans and a sweater, her bootlaces trailing along behind her as she dropped onto his bed and tied her hair up loosely so that it was away from her face.

“You know what you have to do?” The boy asked as soon as she was settled.

“Yes, Henry.” She agreed with a sigh. “I got it the first time we went over the plan.”

“I know… but this can’t go wrong.”

“I know, Henry.” Liv assured him. “It’ll be fine, OK? Just make sure you don’t make Regina suspicious. I’ll deal with Emma’s cell phone and the bug.”

“How are you going to do it?” Henry asked curiously. “Do you actually know anything about cars?”

She shrugged. “I know enough.”

“So what are you gonna do?”

Liv grinned at him. “I’m gonna steal it.”

Henry stared at her, wide-eyed. “What?”

“I’m gonna steal the bug. If I just mess around with the engine or whatever, Emma might be able to fix it. But if it’s not there…”

“Can you even drive?”

“Of course I can.” She assured him, rolling her eyes. Then she screwed up her face. “Sort of.”

“Liv…”

“Trust me, Henry, it’ll be fine. One of my foster dads tried to teach me to drive when I was like thirteen. Besides, I won’t have to drive it far, just far enough that she won’t spot it. I’ll take it a couple of blocks and leave it there.” He still didn’t look reassured, so she sighed. “Look, if you want to call Operation Angelfish off, then–”

“No!” He exclaimed at once. “No, I don’t. I want my moms to be happy. But I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She laughed and reached out to ruffle his hair. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. Well, unless your moms work out what’s happening and kick my ass for leading you astray. Although you do realise that if they do go batshit over this I’m totally gonna blame you. Operation Angelfish is all you, rat boy.”

Instead of answering, he wrapped one arm around her and buried his head into her shoulder in a clumsy, sideways hug. Liv was slightly taken aback, but wound her arm around his shoulders anyway and pulled him closer. She rested her cheek against the top of his head for a moment, before moving away and sliding off the bed.

“Right, go and get cleaned up or whatever… if you’re late your mom will probably kill me.” She told him.

Retreating quickly, Liv frowned. Apart from Emma’s instinctive reaction to seeing her when she arrived, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d received a hug. The last time she’d received something _resembling_ a hug had been in her last group home when the resident pervert had grabbed her while she was distracted. The girl had soon removed him from her personal space with a well-aimed knee. But Henry had willingly hugged her, just because he wanted to.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she made her way downstairs to wait for him. Glancing at the clock she realised that, if they didn’t leave within the next five minutes, they would definitely be late. Pulling on her coat and grabbing Mary Margaret’s umbrella from the stand beside the door, she shouted up the stairs for the boy to hurry up.

He appeared, running down the stairs and leaping from the fourth from the bottom, landing with a thud beside her. She smiled at his excitement before leading him from the building. Outside, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to her so that they were both sheltered from the rain by the umbrella.

They chattered contentedly as they made their way to Regina’s house. Henry was only too happy to suggest ways for the teenager to steal his blonde mother’s cell phone from under her nose and was also trying to think of ways to spy on the conversation that would take place when the two women were left together.

“Once we’ve done this then we can concentrate on working out who you are.” Henry told her suddenly with a grin.

She rolled her eyes. “Henry, you really gotta drop this. I’m Liv. That’s it.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Just make sure they don’t realise you’re still here when they think I’ve picked you up.” Liv ordered as they waited on Regina’s porch for the woman to open the door. “If they catch you they’ll realise they’ve been set up.”

“I know!” Henry replied, rolling his eyes. “Be careful with the bug.”

“I will.” She promised, smiling down at him.

He still looked worried. “I have a bad feeling about you stealing it… maybe you should– Mom!”

Regina smiled broadly as he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly. She squeezed him back, bending to press a kiss to the top of his head before looking up and meeting Liv’s eyes. Her gaze flickered past the teenager to the rain pounding off the path behind her and she looked a little uncomfortable.

“I know I said you weren’t invited to dinner, but perhaps you’d like to wait inside until the rain eases off?” She suggested.

Liv smiled gratefully but shook her head. “No, thanks, Madam Mayor. I’d better get back. I’ll be fine, thanks.”

The woman gave her a curt nod and paused for a moment as the girl started back down the path, before shutting the door. Liv glanced over her shoulder and smiled. If only the rest of the town gave Regina the benefit of the doubt then they’d see that she wasn’t so bad. Not dwelling on the matter, she braced herself against the rain and wind and made her way back towards the apartment.

Everyone else was home when she walked in: Emma laying the table, Mary Margaret putting the finishing touches to dinner and David talking into his phone. Hanging up her coat and resting the umbrella against the wall, Liv slid into her seat at the dinner table and took a sip of water from her glass.

“Did Regina say anything when you dropped Henry off?” Emma asked, trying to appear casual.

Liv smirked, thinking that the blonde was making Operation Angelfish far too easy. “Nope. Well… she did invite me in to wait for the rain to ease off a bit, but it wasn’t so bad so I came straight back.”

“She did what?” Mary Margaret asked, almost dropping a dish of potatoes in surprise. “Why would she do that? What’s she up to?”

“I don’t get why you’re so surprised when she does something nice. Henry’s told me what she did, but she’s not like that anymore. She’s alright.” The teenager shrugged, not really wanting to get into an argument with the woman, but also not prepared to listen to Regina being made out to be some kind of untrustworthy monster. “I’ve met far worse and she’s only ever been nice to me. Well… mostly. But who isn’t a bitch sometimes?”

“She’s right, Mom.” Emma agreed quickly, looking up at Mary Margaret from her seat opposite the teenager’s. “Regina’s not all bad. She really has been trying and since…”

“Cora?” The raven-haired woman asked, clenching her jaw. “Fine. Fine, I won’t say anything else.”

Emma and Liv exchanged a surprised, if slightly triumphant, look before starting to help themselves to vegetables. David joined them a moment or two later, telling them about the phone call he’d received informing him that a tree near the town line had been knocked down in the storm and the blonde sighed, thinking of the paperwork she’d have to fill in about that.

Mary Margaret remained true to her word and didn’t say anything disparaging about Regina all evening. She even managed to restrain herself when Liv stood up about half an hour before Emma was due to collect her son and announced that she’d just remembered that she needed to head over to the Town Hall to finish collating some files she’d forgotten to do for the Mayor. Emma frowned, pointing out that surely they could wait until the next day, but the teenager shook her head and informed her that Regina needed them for her meeting with the town planners at nine o’clock the next morning.

Waving off David’s offer of a lift, the teenager headed quickly to the door. She spotted Emma’s cell phone on the table – apparently not needing any of the complicated plans Henry had thought up to get the device – and swiped it quickly, shoving it into her coat pocket and grabbing the umbrella once more. As soon as she was outside, she held the device close to her body to avoid it getting wet and switched it off. Then she walked quickly towards the Mayor’s house to ‘collect’ Henry, before waiting for Emma’s bug to show up.

Jumping the gate, Liv made her way up the path and rang the doorbell. There were a couple of moments’ pause and then the door opened. Regina looked at her for a moment and then smiled. Henry appeared beside her, looking far too excited for his mother not to get suspicious.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, making the girl arch an eyebrow at him.

“I had to go to the Town Hall to finish something, so I thought I might as well come and get you. I text Emma to let her know.”

Henry grinned at her. “Cool.”

“So, did you have a good time?” Liv asked casually, looking between them and not directing her question at anyone in particular.

“Wonderful, thank you, Miss Reilly.” Regina agreed, bending down so that she was at her son’s eye level. She pulled his coat and scarf more tightly around him, before pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you soon, Henry. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom.” He replied, hugging her.

The brunette beamed, briefly allowing tears to appear in her eyes, before composing herself and nodding briskly. “Miss Reilly.”

“See you at the meeting tomorrow, your Mayorness.” The girl told her, smirking.

Regina rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything. She merely leant against the doorframe and watched as the pair headed away down the path. Henry stopped as they turned out of the garden, peering round the hedge to check that his mother had gone back into the house.

He grinned and started back towards the house, but Liv reached out and grasped his arm. “Are you sure you can get in?”

“I’ve done it plenty of times.” He assured her with a shrug. “Oh…” He put his hand into his pocket and pulled something out, handing it to the girl. “Mom’s cell phone. That’ll make things more difficult for Ma to leave. They’ve still got the house phone, though, but I’ll try and unplug that when I get back in. And I was thinking; you should drive the bug quite far away so that it’s not in walking distance.” Then, before she could respond, he grinned at her and darted away.

“He-Henry!” Liv hissed as loudly as she dared as he rushed through the garden back towards the house. It was useless, however, as he either didn’t hear her or was deliberately ignoring her.

With a sigh, she jogged across the street and settled herself on the wet ground in the garden belonging to the house opposite Regina’s, peering through the hedge to watch the house. She felt like some kind of stalker and hoped that the inevitable cold she’d develop after this would be worth it. After a couple of moments she saw the yellow bug pull up and was relieved that she hadn’t had to wait too long.

Liv raised herself off the ground, crouching behind the hedge instead with her head just visible over the top as she watched Emma get out of her car and walk up the path. The whole plan rested on whether Regina would invite the blonde in or not. If she didn’t then everything would be ruined. Liv held her breath, also wondering whether Henry was safely inside the house.

She shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate on the situation at hand. The Mayor’s front door opened and Regina appeared. The two women spoke for a moment and then Emma glanced back towards her car. Liv held her breath, convinced that she was about to leave. But then she saw the blonde shrug and step inside the house. A wide grin spread over the girl’s face as the door closed behind her and she rushed from her hiding place, crouching beside the driver’s door of Emma’s car.

Reaching into her sleeve she pulled out a couple of thick wires, which she proceeded to stick in the lock in an attempt to break in. Her frustration grew as nothing happened. She was just getting worried when, in desperation, she tried the handle and it opened. Liv rolled her eyes; obviously Emma wouldn’t have remembered to lock the door.

Sliding in, Liv reached under the steering wheel and fiddled with the wires. After a minute the engine roared and she smirked to herself; amused that she’d learnt far more out of school than in it. Slightly jerkily, she started down the road, squinting against the rain and the dark. The windscreen wipers were going frantically, but having very little effect. She waited until she was round the corner before turning on the headlamps. Getting used to the way the car drove, her confidence increased and she sped up. The teenager had only intended to drive it a little way, but she had forgotten how much she liked being behind the wheel.

With a sigh, she thought that she’d better take Henry’s advice and decided to park the bug outside the Sheriff’s station; that was far enough away from Regina’s house, but Emma would soon find it. Slowing down as she approached the junction, she checked the road carefully, before accelerating across. Reaching the middle of the road, her eyes widened as she spotted headlamps approaching quickly from her right. In a desperate attempt to stop the other vehicle, which was showing no signs of slowing down or stopping, ploughing into the side of her, Liv swung the wheel roughly to the right. Sliding on the wet road, the car span out of control; crashing into the building on the corner with an ear-splitting screech and a sickening crunch.

Raising her head from where it had smashed into the steering wheel, Liv pressed her palm to her forehead. When she pulled it away she saw that it was smeared with blood and winced. Her entire body felt as though it was on fire, having been thrown forward and then flung backward instantly. That had definitely not gone to plan.

Half climbing, half falling from the car Liv managed to walk away from the devastation, she wasn’t sure how far, before the world closed in on her and she crumpled to the ground. The second before consciousness was ripped out of her grasp, a blinding flash of light seemed to explode inside her head.

And then there was nothing.


	13. Chapter 13

Henry crossed the lawn quickly. Skirting round the tree he began climbing, his hands and feet easily finding the familiar holds as he neared his bedroom window. The boy knew that it was unlocked because he’d checked while his mother was in the bathroom earlier. Sliding along the branch closest to the house, he lay on his stomach and prised his fingers under the frame, gently easing the window open, before swinging carefully inside. He almost lost his grip as the rain pelting down made the sill slippery, but managed to wriggle forwards and inside without injury.

Taking off his coat and scarf, the boy crossed his bedroom and opened the door just enough to be able to hear whether his mother was moving around. He was greeted by silence, so Henry slipped through and padded along the hall to the top of the stairs. Just as he was about to start his descent, the doorbell rang and he darted back out of sight, leaning against the wall and listening carefully.

The click of his mother’s heels on the marble floor was followed by the sound of the front door opening. There was a pause for a moment and then Emma spoke.

“Uh… hi?”

“Miss Swan? Can I help you?”

“Umm… is Henry ready to go?” Emma asked, sounding just as confused as the brunette.

“Henry? He already left.”

“He what?” Emma demanded.

Regina paused for a moment. “Miss– Liv came to pick him up about ten minutes ago.”

“She what? I…”

There was a sharp exhalation of breath, which Henry instinctively knew came from the brunette. “She said she text you. You should really learn to check your messages, Emma.”

“Oh, I… I must have left it at home.” The blonde responded hesitantly. “Well… sorry to bother you, then. I should get going… the weather’s really crappy tonight. David’s already had a report of a tree blown over near the town line.”

Henry bit his lip, willing one of them to suggest that Emma came in. He held his breath as the silence seemed to last for hours. When his brunette mother spoke, he released the breath and thought that he’d never felt so relieved in his life.

“Why don’t you stay for a drink?” Regina asked hesitantly. “I’m sure you would appreciate something hot to warm you up before you head back out into the rain?”

“OK.” Emma replied at once. Henry grinned to himself, imagining the expression on her face as she tried to recover from sounding so eager. “I guess I can spare ten minutes.”

“I would offer you a glass of cider, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers what happened the last time you drank and drove?”

Emma laughed and Regina chuckled, causing the boy to grin even more broadly at the mingled sounds. “No, Regina, I don’t think I want to risk that again. Coffee would be great.”

As the sound of footsteps headed in the direction of the kitchen, Henry made his way cautiously down the stairs. He peered round the banister, catching sight of Regina standing with her back to him making coffee, before darting across the foyer and into his mother’s study, which is where he guessed they’d go once they had their drinks. Looking around, he decided to hide under the heavy wooden desk in front of the window. Unable to resist, he peeked out in the hopes of catching sight of Liv in Emma’s car. The bug was gone and he grinned to himself that everything seemed to be going according to plan, before diving under the desk.

“So, Miss Swan,” Regina’s voice alerted Henry to their presence a moment later, “how are things at the Sheriff’s office? I haven’t had your reports this week.”

Unbeknownst to the hiding boy, the expression of exasperation on his face mirrored exactly the expression on Emma’s. “Yeah… I’ve been busy. I’ll get them to you on Monday, OK?”

“That’s fine.”

There was a slightly awkward pause and Henry had to restrain himself from peering around the furniture to see what was happening. For a couple of moments the only sound was the ticking of the clock in the corner and the tapping of the rain on the window.

“So, how’s Liv doing as your secretary?” Emma asked at last, evidently tiring of the silence. “Because as far as I can tell she loves working for you.”

“Really?” There was a mixture of surprise and amusement in the brunette’s tone.

“Yeah… she’s like… she’s been here two weeks and she’s already had like a billion arguments, which go on for days, about you with Mary Margaret and a load more with Ruby, although those pretty much end before they’ve really started, and…” Emma trailed off suddenly. “I just meant that you’ve made an impression on her because she doesn’t get attached to many people. She listened to what you did in your past and decided that you don’t deserve the title of Evil Queen or to be bitched about when you’re not there to defend yourself.”

Regina remembered the conversation they’d had at Granny’s almost two weeks ago. “She likes me enough to… she… defended me?”

“She’s not the only one.” Emma told her, her voice full of meaning.

The pause that followed that admission was totally different to the previous silence. Henry was incredibly tempted to take a look and see what was happening to cause such a charged atmosphere in the room. He grinned to himself as he wondered whether his moms were about to kiss. In his head that was the inevitable – no, the only possible – outcome of this conversation.

“Regina, I…”

“Emma…”

“Just kiss already!” Henry muttered under his breath.

Losing the battle against his curiosity, the boy shuffled backwards and raised himself high enough to peer over the desk to the couch where his mothers were sitting, too close together for it to be purely innocent. Emma raised a hand slowly, bringing it to rest on Regina’s cheek and Henry almost squeaked with delight. They were staring at each other when the house phone out on the table at the foot of the stairs started ringing shrilly, causing all three of them to jump. Almost as though a spell had been broken by the sound, the women leapt apart, looking slightly shell-shocked. Regina stood and, with a glance over her shoulder at the blonde, she went to answer the call.

Henry rubbed the top of his head where he’d banged it on the table at the sound of the phone. He winced slightly, before almost letting out a scream as a blonde head suddenly appeared over the desk and Emma glared at him.

“Henry?”

“Oh… hey, Ma…”

“What the hell are you doing under there?” Emma demanded, struggling to understand what was going on. She paced back towards the couch. “Regina said you… where’s Liv?”

“Oh… she… umm…”

Before he could come up with a suitable answer, or Emma could start questioning him further, the door that Regina had pulled closed behind her flew open and the brunette stared at the blonde. Her eyes were wide and she was clutching the bottom of her jacket almost for comfort.

“Emma… your car… it’s…” She swallowed. “There’s been an accident.”

“Liv?” Henry breathed, grabbing the edge of the desk.

“Hen… Henry? What?” Regina whirled round at the sound of her son’s voice. “What on earth is going on?”

He ignored her question, moving round the desk and standing in front of her. “Is Liv OK?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?” His mother asked, confused. Then her eyes widened as she realised what the boy’s presence in the house meant. “Where is she?”

“Wasn’t she in the bug?”

“She was in the bug?” Emma gasped, thinking back to what Regina had said on re-entering the room combined with the expression on the brunette’s face. “Oh my god…”

“Henry, you need to tell us everything.” Regina urged, reaching out and grasping his arm as gently as she could in her agitation.

“No, we don’t have time! We have to get there.”

The boy dodged around the brunette and ran for the front door. His mothers exchanged a look before following him outside. Henry was waiting impatiently beside Regina’s car and the brunette unlocked it as she ran, allowing him to scramble into the back while the two women slid into the front.

None of them spoke as Regina drove through the streets faster than was probably safe in the current weather conditions. As they approached the spot where Sidney Glass had informed the Mayor the crash had happened, they realised that they would have to park up and walk the rest of the way due to the crowd that had gathered despite the less than hospitable weather.

Henry was out of the car before Regina had even stopped properly, sprinting towards the barriers that had been put up to prevent the crowd getting too close. It was surprising just how many people had braved the storm to peer at the mangled car. Emma and Regina weren’t far behind their son, reaching the barrier at the same time. With a quick look at each other, they pushed their way through and strode towards the bug, Henry on their heels.

“Oh…” Emma felt her chest tighten as she looked at her wrecked car. It had been the only constant thing in her life for so long and now it was gone. If she’d thought the damage that had been caused after the incident Regina had mentioned earlier had been bad, this was on a whole other scale. But if Henry was right that Liv had been the one driving it, then it wasn’t just her bug that she was in danger of losing. “What…?”

A hand grasped her shoulder and the blonde jumped and turned to look into her father’s face. “Emma…” He dragged her into a tight hug. “Your Mom and I were so scared… we thought…”

“I’m fine.” She assured him, her gaze being dragged back to the car. “What happened?”

“It was hot-wired. And… we found two cell phones on the passenger seat: yours and Regina’s. Hot-wiring doesn’t sound like Regina’s style, but…”

“I can assure you I have never hot-wired anything in my life.” The Mayor snapped, causing David to jump as he registered her presence for the first time. “Are you seriously suggesting that _I_ did this?”

“How else did your cell phone end up in my daughter’s car?”

“David, I was with Regina at her house the whole time.” Emma assured him firmly, laying a reassuring hand on the brunette woman’s arm. “This wasn’t anything to do with her.”

“So then how…?” He trailed off as both women turned to look at their son, who was staring in horror at the mangled metal that used to be his mother’s car.

“We have to find her.”

“Who?” David asked, confused.

Henry evaded his mothers’ hands and rushed towards the bug. “Liv!” He shouted, although whether he was answering his grandfather’s question or calling out for the teenager no one was really sure. He peered into the windows and looked around wildly. “She took the cell phones and stole the bug.”

“She did what?” David breathed.

“Why would she? After _everything_ …” Emma couldn’t help feeling a stab of betrayal in her guts at the words. She instinctively sought out Regina’s eyes and saw a similar emotion on the brunette’s face. “Why would she steal from us?”

“She wasn’t really stealing!” Henry almost screamed at her. Both his mothers were taken aback by his reaction. “She was just trying to give you both your happy ending.”

As one, their mouths fell open. “What?”

“We had a plan… Operation Angelfish… but this wasn’t supposed to happen…” His eyes swept over the bug before returning to his moms.

“Henry, what are you talking about?” Regina demanded, totally confused.

He shook his head sending droplets of water splashing over the women and started to walk away, his eyes darting anxiously around him. “We don’t have time. We have to find Liv.”

When it was clear he wasn’t going to tell them anything until they found the teenager, Emma and Regina followed him along the street. They moved quickly, trying to shield their eyes against the rain as best they could so that they would be able to spot the girl if she was there. Both women knew it would make more sense to split up, but neither wanted to be apart from the other at that moment; it was a strange realisation for both of them.

“Mom!” Henry’s voice reached them, panicky and somewhere to the right of where they were standing. The women looked at each other before rushing towards the sound, instinctively reaching for each other as they ran. “Mom!”

Rounding a corner they almost tripped over a body on the ground, Henry kneeling beside it and trying to shield the girl from the worst of the rain. The boy looked up at his mothers, spotting their clasped hands, but choking down the fleeting sense of triumph the sight elicited instantly.

“Christ…” Emma gasped out, staring down at the non-responsive figure of the teenage girl covered in blood. “I’ll go and…”

Gesturing vaguely back towards where the bug was, she raced away to get someone to call an ambulance – to do something. Regina dropped to the ground beside her son, removing her jacket and covering Liv’s torso gently. She didn’t know what good it would do, but it was the only thing she could think of to do at that moment.

“Please let her be alright…” Henry pleaded, looking at Regina as though she could fix things. “I had a bad feeling about her taking the car. She was only going to drive it a couple of blocks. But then I told her she should take it further away and…”

“This is not your fault.” Regina told him sternly. “It was, as far as we know, an accident.”

“Do something… please… use your magic…”

She faltered. “Henry, I…”

“I _want_ you to use magic.” He told her, his voice cracking with emotion. “You have to save her. She can’t die. She was just trying to give you and Emma your happy ending.”

“You keep saying that, Henry, but I don’t understand what–”

“I’ll explain, I promise.” The boy said. “Just please…”

With a deep sigh, Regina looked down at the girl on the ground. Biting her lip and screwing up her face in concentration she started channelling her magic into repairing some of the damage that had been caused during the crash. After a couple of minutes she sat back on her heels, breathing deeply and looking exhausted by her efforts.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t do much…” She murmured sounding defeated. “I’m a little out of practice with healing spells. She should be stable until she gets to hospital though. I hope so, anyway, although… Henry… sweetheart, Liv is very badly injured. I don’t…”

“She’ll be OK when she gets to hospital. She has to be.” Henry almost pleaded.

“As long as you keep Dr Frankincense away from me…” A weak, croaky voice replied. “I don’t want bolts in my neck, thanks…”

Regina and Henry looked at each other in disbelief for a moment, before turning their gazes back on the teenager. Neither could think of anything to say, so they just beamed down at her instead. Regina tentatively pushed the girl’s hair gently off her face, while Henry squeezed her hand tightly. 

“I’m sorry, Henry…”

“Sorry?” The boy blinked down at her.

Liv smiled weakly, wincing as she tried to move and quickly giving up on the idea. “I think I might have jeopardised Operation Angelfish…”

“Actually, I think it worked.” He told her with a grin.

Her eyes widened for a moment and she looked at Regina for a moment before she winced again. Even the tiniest movement hurt like hell. “Jeeze… can you put that Evil Queen reputation of yours to good use and just kill me already? It’ll hurt a damn sight less than this.”

Regina chuckled, not realising that her hand was still resting on the teenager’s cheek. None of them glanced up as footsteps and voices came nearer. “I don’t think so, Miss Reilly. I don’t really feel like looking for another personal assistant, so you’d better hurry up and get back to work. Otherwise I might be forced to–”

Liv grinned weakly, her eyes slipping closed. “Shut the hell up, Regina.”


	14. Chapter 14

David couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed. Liv had just ordered the Mayor to ‘shut the hell up’, even calling her by her first name. Rather than reacting as he and most of the town would have imagined, the brunette had just chuckled softly and tucked the teenager’s hair gently behind her ear.

Then Emma had joined them, almost knocking Regina over in her haste to get to the girl. The Mayor hadn’t even batted an eyelid, simply sliding her hand over Emma’s on Liv’s stomach and giving it a reassuring squeeze. David’s eyes almost dropped out of his head as his daughter instinctively turned her hand over and laced her fingers with Regina’s, her gaze never wavering from Liv’s face. Neither woman seemed to register the action and, with the tiniest smirk, Henry only looked away from the teenager for a moment to take it in.

“Sheriff Swan, Madam Mayor?” The paramedic looked slightly nervous addressing the two women. “We need to assess the damage.”

“Damage?” Regina’s eyes flashed dangerously. “She’s not a piece of furniture.”

“Err… her injuries?” The man tried again cautiously.

Obviously satisfied, the Mayor said nothing else and allowed Emma to half-drag her to her feet. Glancing at the blonde, Regina saw the expression that was twisting her features and rested a hand gently on the woman’s waist. Even she was surprised when Emma turned and buried her head in Regina’s shoulder, hugging her tightly to her.

* * *

Liv jerked awake suddenly. The light trying to force its way through her eyelids was too bright, too harsh. She groaned softly, trying to raise her hand to cover her face, wondering whether she was suffering from the worst hangover of her life so far. Her intentions were thwarted by something attached to her arm and hand, something that was keeping them firmly in place at her side. Frowning, she tried with the other arm, feeling it similarly impeded.

With another soft groan, she braced herself for the light to burn its way into her head through her eyes and blinked rapidly, screwing up her face in pain. At first glance she had no idea where she was. Everything was white and clinical looking and she was in a bed; the crisp white sheets tucked neatly around her and a pale blue blanket carefully positioned over the top. It took her a couple of minutes to realise that she was in hospital, hooked up to all kinds of monitors and medications.

Her eyes drifted sideways and she found herself struggling to remember who the boy sitting in the chair beside her bed actually was. His name was at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. The boy sat completely still, one elbow resting on the arm of the chair and his hand propping up his head. His eyes were fixed on the large window in the wall of her room, through which she could see three women and a man talking. Their faces all displayed varying degrees of worry, which caused Liv to frown. And then her memory came flooding back and she winced.

“You should probably tell the Blue Fairy I’m past help.” She joked croakily, just as surprised as Henry was at the sound of her voice. She assumed that the woman was here because it was her job to give out the last rites to those who were beyond medical intervention. “She’ll just be wasting her time if she tries her Mother Superior thing on me.”

“Liv!” He jerked forwards towards her, as though he was about to leap on her in a hug, but stopped himself quickly, remembering where she was. “You should be dead.”

“Oh, thanks…” The girl almost whispered, trying to smirk at him. “Now I feel loved.”

Henry shook his head, ignoring her weak joke. “No, really. That’s why the Blue Fairy is here… you were so badly injured that they thought it was just a matter of time before you died.”

“Yeah, well, I owe your mom a massive thank you.”

“No, she–”

“Henry, I vividly remember her doing her thing and healing me.”

The boy shook his head again, leaning forward insistently. “No, Liv, she didn’t. I mean… she tried… but that’s not what I meant. Dr Whale said you should have died on impact. He said that the injuries you got in the car crash should have killed you right away… but you got out and walked like… two streets away.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I just got lucky. Anyway, what does Frankincense know? Doesn’t he usually work with patients that are already gonners?” She was tired and everything hurt and that was making her irritable. Glancing quickly through the window, she saw that the doctor had gone, leaving the three women still deep in conversation. “I thought I told you to keep him away from me, anyway?”

“Liv!” Henry completely ignored her grouching, yet again. “I don’t think you were lucky and I don’t think they were wrong. I think–”

“Please, Henry, shut the hell up about your theory.” She almost whispered, exhaustion and pain threatening to overtake her completely. The girl knew what Henry was getting at and she wasn’t in the mood to hear it. “I like you and all, but I feel like absolute crap and I haven’t got the energy to deal with your ‘you’re really a fairy tale character but you just can’t remember’ shit right now.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re feeling more like your old self, Miss Reilly.” The sound of a familiarly warm, reassuring voice greeted both of them and they looked up to see Regina and Emma entering the room, closing the door softly behind them. “Although how many times do I have to remind you to moderate your language around my son?”

“Sorry…” The teenager mumbled. Her eyes met Emma’s and she suddenly remembered what she’d done to the bug. “Em… I’m so sorry about your car. Regina can give you my wages for like… forever… so you can get a new one.”

“It’s OK.” Emma assured her gently. “It’s just a car…”

“It was a death-trap.” Regina corrected bluntly, settling herself in the free chair on the opposite side of the bed from Henry. “You’ve done her a favour.”

The blonde rolled her eyes at the Mayor’s words, but smiled gently down at Liv. “I’m just glad you’re OK.”

“That’s more than can be said for some people… the first thing Henry said to me was ‘you should be dead’.”

“Henry!” His mothers chorused in shock.

“I didn’t mean I wanted… that’s what Dr Whale said!” He defended himself hurriedly. “I heard you guys talking to him.”

Regina sighed, not reacting when Emma perched on the arm of her chair carefully. The blonde laid her arm along the high back of the chair and slumped inwards a little towards the Mayor. Neither seemed aware of their proximity. When the brunette leant forwards she actually rested her forearm on Emma’s thigh.

“It’s true that Dr Whale was surprised at how well you’ve responded since the accident. He didn’t expect you to regain consciousness for at least another week… in fact he did say it should be a lot longer.”

“Wait… _another_ week?” Liv demanded.

Emma nodded. “You’ve been out for almost three weeks, kid. For the first two weeks you were sedated but then… you just didn’t wake up.”

“I was tempted to look for poisoned knitting needles.” Regina joked dryly, causing the teenager to splutter with laughter and the other two to exchange a confused look.

Liv instantly regretted laughing as a crippling pain rippled through her and she scowled lightly at the brunette for making her do it. The Mayor just smirked in response, leaning back in her chair, her hand trailing along Emma’s thigh before dropping into her own lap. The teenager raised an eyebrow, her eyes immediately darting towards Henry who grinned at her.

Spotting the look passing between the two, Emma sighed. “Henry told us about Operation Angelfish.”

“Oh…”

“I can’t believe you nearly died to–”

“To give you your happy ending!” Henry cut in vehemently. “And she wasn’t _supposed_ to nearly die.”

“Well that makes it alright then.” Regina muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Whilst we appreciate…” Emma tried to continue, feeling incredibly awkward. “What Regina and I feel… I mean, whatever we get up to…”

The brunette exhaled sharply. “What Miss Swan is trying to say, in her oh so eloquent way, is that while we’re touched that you care enough about our happiness to concoct a plan like you did, it is really none of your business, either of you.”

“But it did work, though?” Liv urged, not taking a blind bit of notice of the brunette’s words.

“Miss Reilly, did I not just–”

“Yes.” Emma answered for them both in a soft voice.

“So you’re like… dating?” Henry asked, unable to keep the broad smile off his face.

“I guess…”

“Although,” Regina said with a small smirk, “thus far our dates have mainly consisted of sitting beside a hospital bed.”

Liv was about to make a comment about how grateful she was that they had both sat with her while she was unconscious, when a thought struck her and she looked between them. “Did you… please don’t tell me you sat beside my bed and made out while I was lying here in a coma.”

Emma resolutely avoided her eyes, her cheeks turning pink at the accusation. Regina cleared her throat and held her head high. “Of course we didn’t.”

“I don’t believe you! Oh my god!”

“We didn’t!” The blonde insisted. Then she smirked. “Gina was scared someone would see.”

“I feel violated.” Liv muttered.

“I thought this was what you wanted?” Emma teased. “Wasn’t that the point of Operation Angelfish?”

The teenager shrugged. “Yeah… but I kinda expected you to be all… weepy and mournful while I was on my deathbed, not imagining what you were gonna do to each other wh–”

“Liv!” Regina snapped, her eyes flickering over to her son who was looking as though he wasn’t sure whether to burst out laughing or be sick after hearing her words. “You can rest assured that both Miss Swan and myself were, if not weepy and mournful, incredibly worried about you.”

Before Liv could send a sarcastic comment their way, the door opened and Dr Whale appeared, clutching a clipboard and smiling broadly at his patient. He approached the bed, comparing the statistics on the monitors around the teenager with the previous readings he had taken on the charts he was holding. His face contorted in confusion for a moment, before he smiled around.

“You’re making great progress, Miss Reilly.” He assured her, speaking to the others as much as the teenage girl. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel… I actually feel OK.” She told him, slightly surprised. It was true, she felt a lot better than she had when she’d first regained consciousness. A lot of the pain that had been coursing around her body had retreated almost without her noticing and she assumed that whatever medications they were giving her were working at last. “These painkillers are really good!”

He frowned curiously and moved to check one of the drips. “You’re not receiving any pain medication at the moment. Well, barely any. We decreased the dosage as much as possible earlier.”

“Why on earth–” Regina started angrily.

“We needed to assess Miss Reilly’s condition and the medication was skewing the readings. Or… so we thought.” Dr Whale muttered, glancing at the readings again.

“What do you mean, Whale?” Emma snapped, not liking not understanding what he meant.

“These readings… she’s almost back to perfect health just nineteen days after an accident that should have killed her instantly.” He held out the chart he had just filled in and Emma took it hesitantly. “See… blood pressure 120/80, heart rate averaging 82 bpm, bloods completely normal… it’s… perfect.”

“Cool.” Liv shrugged. “Does that mean I can leave?”

“I want you to stay in for a while so we can continue to monitor you.” The doctor said firmly. “I… I don’t really understand this…”

“I _told_ you there was something.” Henry cut in.

“And I told _you_ that there isn’t.” Liv almost snapped at him. His continual theorising and the fact that she had to keep reminding him that it wasn’t true just made her agitated. It was as though he was constantly reminding her that she was different; that she didn’t really belong here. “I was dumped outside a hospital in Portland when I was a couple of hours old and no one ever came to find me. There is nothing unusual about me, Henry. I’m just… I’m not special.” She looked almost pleadingly at the doctor, begging him to find an explanation. “There has to be some reason… Regina’s magic! Yeah, that must be it. Regina healed me.”

Silence fell when she stopped talking, looking hopefully at the brunette. The pause continued for a long time until Emma spoke. “I thought you didn’t know how you ended up in the foster system?”

“I didn’t… but then on my sixteenth birthday I got a card and a letter and… that’s what it said. It said that my parents had left me outside the hospital because they had to, but that one day soon I’d see them again.”

“Did the letter say anything else?” Henry demanded, leaning forward eagerly, cogs whirring in his brain.

“It said that when the time came for me to find out the truth I’d need to cling to whatever gave me strength and hold on as tightly as I could.” Liv sighed and shook her head. “Henry… it doesn’t mean anything. My parents were probably just kids themselves or maybe they were junkies or maybe they just didn’t want me. It was probably just some nutter that sent the letter or one of the other kids at the home taking the piss. It’s probably not even true that I was left outside the hospital. It just… the bit about clinging onto whatever gave me strength made me think of Emma and I decided to try and find her. I haven’t even thought about that letter in months.”

“But maybe it’s–” The boy started, but his brunette mother shook her head.

“Enough, Henry.” She ordered softly, seeing how agitated the teenager had grown. Standing quickly, nudging Emma with her hip as she did so, Regina motioned towards the door. “Dr Whale, a word?”

The brunette ushered the doctor out of the room quickly. Emma hesitated for a moment, before sending Liv a weak smile and following them out. She pulled the door closed behind her and Liv and Henry watched in silence for a moment as Regina started talking, obviously demanding answers.

“So what’ve I missed?” The girl asked, cursing the fact that she was attached to so many wires and couldn’t sit up. “Does everyone know they’re a thing? Or is it just us?”

“I don’t know… I think Grandma and Grandpa at least _think_ something’s going on.” Henry admitted with a shrug. “I’ve been under house arrest at the apartment since it happened. Everyone was so mad… I think it was mainly because you nearly died, though. What happened?”

“I’m not sure… I remember getting in the bug and driving it away. I remember deciding to park it at the Sheriff’s station and then… nothing. Nothing until I woke up and heard your Mom say that she wasn’t sure if her magic was enough to help me.”

“Grandpa thought it was Mom that stole the bug.” The boy told her thoughtfully after a moment’s silence.

Liv snorted with laughter. “Regina? What does Regina know about hot-wiring a car?”

“That’s what she said.” He shrugged. “I thought his eyes were gonna fall out of his head when Ma told him it couldn’t have been Mom because she’d been with her at the time.”

“He _so_ knows about them.”

“I don’t think he _actually_ does.” The boy admitted with another shrug. “I think Grandma’s more suspicious.”

“Henry… you haven’t been going on about true love have you?” Liv asked, eyeing him carefully. “Because seriously that’s just gonna freak them out.”

“But it’s–”

She shook her head vehemently. “No, Henry, trust me. We gotta let them get to that bit on their own. I, for one, am not playing any part in that. I almost died getting them to admit they like each other. Who knows what’ll happen if we try and get them to say they’re in love or something.”


	15. Chapter 15

Liv almost went crazy waiting to be let out of the hospital. Doctor Whale kept her in for four more days, wanting to keep her under observation to make sure she didn’t suddenly just crash. He still had no way of explaining her miraculous recovery and Liv was clinging to Regina’s attempt to heal her as the obvious reason.

Although Henry had attempted to talk to her about the possibility that the letter might give them some answers, Liv was refusing point blank to discuss it. She didn’t want to know who had sent the letter or why. She didn’t care what the writer had meant when they’d said that she’d be seeing her parents soon or that they had abandoned her because they had to. As far as she was concerned the letter had served its purpose when she tracked Emma down.

Finally, the day arrived when Dr Whale had said she could leave. She was almost exploding with her desire to get out of the room that she’d been cooped up in for so long. She couldn’t even remember most of the time she’d spent in the hospital bed, but the past four and a half days had been enough to drive her crazy.

“We’ve got a proposition for you, kid.” Emma informed her, dropping heavily onto the bed and looking at the teenager carefully. Regina leant casually against the doorframe watching with a smirk playing about her lips. “You know how it’s kinda cramped at home… I mean, there are five people living in a tiny apartment. You and me sharing isn’t exactly… convenient…”

“You want me to leave?” Liv asked realising what was coming. She struggled to keep the panic and hurt out of her voice as it bubbled up inside her. Part of her had been expecting to have this conversation at some point, but the other part had hoped it wouldn’t come – especially while she was still sitting on her hospital bed. “Oh… OK… I get it…”

“We don’t _want_ you to go anywhere.” Emma assured her gently, reaching out and squeezing the girl’s arm. “But we need more space. That’s why… Regina said you can move in with her.”

“W-What? Really?”

“Unless you have some aversion to the idea, dear?” The brunette asked, arching an eyebrow and strolling towards them.

For some reason the thought of moving in with Regina made Liv incredibly happy. “No, I… No. Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome.” The woman said with a genuine smile. Then she turned the smile into a smirk. “Although we will have to set some ground rules.”

“I didn’t expect anything less.” Liv admitted. “But can we get out of here first… I hate hospitals.”

Both women instantly remembered that the teenager may, or may not, have been abandoned by her parents outside a hospital and understood the look in her eyes, which indicated that there was a deeper reason for her dislike than simply associating the building with her near-death. They made their way through the hospital and out into the parking lot where Regina’s car was waiting. Liv felt a pang of guilt as she remembered that she’d inadvertently destroyed Emma’s bug. She still didn’t remember what had happened.

“Give me a call when you’re ready for me to come over and collect Liv.” Regina told Emma as they pulled up outside the apartment building.

“Oh, Gina, come in.” The blonde asked, turning her green eyes on the older woman and widening them pleadingly.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you, dear? I highly doubt whether your parents would be pleased to see me, especially once they find out that Liv’s moving into my house.”

“Can I stay here?” The teenager chipped in from the back seat, not really wanting to be around when the Charmings heard that particular news.

“No.” Both women snapped, causing the girl to roll her eyes and lean back in her seat, folding her arms.

Emma reached out and put her hand on the brunette’s cheek, stroking it gently with her thumb. “Please, Gina.”

“No.” Regina replied firmly. Her face softened at the expression on the blonde’s and she sighed. “I’m trying to make it easier for you.” She explained. “Your parents already think I’ve put some kind of curse on you to stop you hating me. If I’m there when you tell them this then they’re not going to listen at all. If I’m not there they may let you at least explain.”

With a sigh, Emma had to agree that she had a point. She pouted slightly before leaning in and tenderly kissing Regina’s lips. Liv sighed loudly and climbed out of the car as the brunette brought a hand up to tangle in the blonde’s curls, but she was secretly thrilled that Operation Angelfish had worked quite so well.

“Hey, don’t get all… whatever.” Emma ordered, pointing at the teenager once she had got out and they’d waved Regina off. “You wanted us to get together.”

“Yeah… but I don’t want to sit in the back of the car while you guys make out in the front.”

“You do realise that your room is gonna be next door to Regina’s, right? And that the walls in that house are _really_ thin?” The woman asked, making her way towards the apartment. When Liv fixed her with a horrified look, she laughed, shaking her head. “I’m totally kidding.”

“You better be or I’ll be heading off to Archie’s office for therapy.” The teenager muttered, following Emma inside.

There was a loud, excited squeal and Liv stumbled backwards as someone barrelled into her. She realised that it was Mary Margaret, wrapping her in a tight hug. Seconds later there was another jolt as Henry joined them. Then suddenly it had turned into some kind of group hug when David appeared, pulling Emma with him. In the middle of the hug Liv felt incredibly awkward, not used to such displays of affection.

“Umm… you can let go of her now, Mom.” The blonde urged Mary Margaret gently, stopping just short of prising the woman away from the shell-shocked teenager. “Listen… there’s something I need to tell you.”

She indicated that Liv should go upstairs and pack, while she filled her parents in on the latest development. Waiting until the teenager had disappeared into her bedroom, Emma leant against the breakfast bar and took a deep breath.

“What is it?” Mary Margaret asked worriedly. “Is there… is she sick?”

“No.” Emma assured her firmly. “But… OK so… you know how we were talking about how crowded it is in here? Well… we’ve come up with a solution; Liv’s going to move in with Regina.”

“What?”

“Are you serious?”

The blonde nodded. “It makes sense. Regina has so much more space than we do and Liv likes her… it’s just…”

“Regina?” Mary Margaret couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I know you believe that she’s trying to change, Emma, but you can’t seriously be considering letting Liv go there? Regina will… she always has a reason for doing things and they always benefit her. Why would she offer to take Liv in?”

“Mom… she’s just–”

“No, she’s got a reason… she wants to corrupt Liv or punish us or use Liv to get to Henry or… maybe she’s trying to _replace_ Henry?”

“Don’t be stupid.” Emma snapped exasperatedly. “Why do you always have to see the bad in her?” As the raven-haired woman opened her mouth, her daughter held up a hand. “No, I know. I haven’t forgotten what she’s done. But that was in the past. Gina is really–”

“Gina?” David asked incredulously.

“I meant to say Regina, obviously… it just came out wrong.” The blonde backtracked quickly, not ready for her parents to find out about her and the brunette just yet. “What I meant was, Regina is really trying to change and I think she deserves a little support. She saved us from a freakin’ death curse, for god’s sake. Don’t you think that at least deserves a bit of credit?”

“I don’t trust her.”

“Well I do.” Emma told them firmly. “And Liv agrees that it’s a good idea, so she’s going.” She sighed as she looked at her parents. “It’s not far and Regina won’t have her under house arrest. You’ll still see her.”

There was a pause. Then Mary Margaret sighed. “I suppose it will be better if you’ve both got your own space.” She conceded. “And she will be back for family dinner night, right?”

“Obviously.” Her daughter agreed, just managing to stop herself rolling her eyes. She really wanted to say that if she was forced to attend then she would sure as hell make the teenager be there as well. “So are you OK?”

“I don’t think we have a choice.”

* * *

Leaving the apartment with Regina, Liv felt as though she was escaping the tension and abandoning Emma and Henry to the irritation of Mary Margaret and David. The teenager was quiet on the drive to the Mayor’s house, wondering whether the couple would ever forgive her. Not, Liv thought almost angrily, that it was anything to do with them really. She would always be grateful to the Charmings for taking her in and making her feel wanted. But she wouldn’t let them dictate her life.

“There are two guest rooms.” Regina informed the teenager when she let her into her house, standing aside so that the girl could pass, before closing the front door behind them. “You can choose which you prefer.”

“What… really?” Liv asked, her eyes wide as she ripped her gaze from the beautiful foyer and back to the brunette. She hadn’t been inside the Mayor’s house before and had only caught glimpses past Regina when she’d dropped Henry off and picked him up on _that_ night. “I can… choose?”

The woman smiled indulgently, hanging her coat on the pegs beside the door. “Of course. You’ll be able to tell which room is mine and which is Henry’s. You’re welcome to either of the others.”

“Thank you, Mayor Mills.”

“It’s Regina at home, dear. Not that you have much problem using my first name in public either.”

Still unable to believe what she was hearing – especially from the Mayor – the teenager eyed the stairs for a moment, before shouldering her backpack and the holdalls Emma had lent her and making her way upstairs. She hesitated as she looked along the hallway. All six doors were closed and she guessed she’d have to open them to figure out which were the guest rooms. It felt a little like she was invading Regina’s privacy but, considering the woman hadn’t ordered her _not_ to look into any of the rooms, she decided that she obviously didn’t mind. This, too, was almost unbelievable; the Mayor was usually such a private person.

Deciding to explore systematically, the teenager turned left at the top of the stairs and opened the first door. It was obviously the first of the guest rooms; pale walls and a cream carpet, with a queen-size bed underneath the window, a wardrobe against the wall opposite the door, a dresser beside that and a table against the wall behind the door with a mirror propped up on it. The next door along the hall was a good-sized bathroom. The third door opened into what was, unmistakably, Regina’s room. Liv shut the door immediately, only catching a quick glimpse of the tastefully decorated room, not wanting to intrude on the Mayor’s private space.

From the Mayor’s bedroom, Liv had to walk a little way along the corridor, where she opened a door onto a second bathroom. The next door was the second guest room. The neutral colour scheme was the same and there were the same pieces of furniture, but in this room everything seemed much more expensive and ornate. Deciding that the plainer room was much more her style, Liv closed the door and turned to head back to the other end of the hall. Then she paused, unable to resist peeking into Henry’s room. It was cute, she conceded, a spark of jealousy flaring inside her as she eyed the pictures, ornaments and toys that made the room so personal to the boy.

“Did you choose a room yet?” Regina’s voice floated up from downstairs.

Closing the door hurriedly, Liv darted to the top of the stairs and smiled down at the brunette, nodding. “Yeah… I think I’m gonna go for that one there.” She pointed to the first room she’d looked in. “If that’s OK?”

“Of course, dear.” The Mayor nodded. “Go and settle in. I’ll start on dinner.”

The clicking of her heels on the well-polished marble floor signalled her departure and should have been the teenager’s cue to make her way towards her new bedroom. Instead she stood stock-still, deep in thought. While she wasn’t against Regina’s friendly, almost maternal attitude towards her – why would she be? – Liv just found it a little odd. She wasn’t used to it and it didn’t sit well with her. It made her uncomfortable.

“She just wants to get in Emma’s good books… and pants.” The teenager reminded herself firmly. “That’s why she’s being so nice.”

With that, she walked along the hall and opened the guest room door. Dropping her bags onto the bed, she looked around slowly. She had a ritual every time she got a new room, one she’d had since she was tiny. She walked around the bed and peered at the window. Not through it, at it. Her eyes flickered over the catches and she tested them, nodding a little when the windows opened easily. Then she walked to the wardrobe and peered inside, before moving to look behind it, squashing her head into the corner so that she could run one eye over the tiny gap between the wall and the wooden back of the cupboard. If anyone asked what she was looking for, she wouldn’t have been able to explain; she was just… checking.

Finally, she dropped to her hands and knees and looked under the bed carefully before lying on her stomach and crawling underneath. The room was fully carpeted, so there were no exposed floorboards to examine and she flipped onto her back to run her fingers over the wooden slats that supported the mattress.

“What on earth are you doing?”

Liv jumped and smacked her head on one of the slats as Regina’s voice startled her. Swearing softly and blushing violently, she wriggled out from underneath the bed and pulled herself to her feet.

“I… err… I can’t exactly explain it but it’s just something I have to do every time I move someplace new.” She muttered, mortified that the Mayor had caught her doing something so bizarre. “I have to check the windows, the wardrobes and under the bed…”

The teenager wanted to disappear as the woman fixed her with a stare that made Liv think Regina was seeing inside her head. Then she nodded slowly. “Hiding places and escape routes… I understand. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”

Then she was gone, pulling the door closed behind her. Liv couldn’t work out how she felt about the realisation that the Mayor was completely right about the reasons behind her routine. Liv had never really thought about why she did it; she just did. But now she understood and Regina was right; it was the only way she would feel safe.


	16. Chapter 16

Once the Mayor had gone, Liv began pulling out her clothes haphazardly and started stuffing them onto hangers and into drawers, keeping one eye on the clock on the dressing table. Regina had said ten minutes and she would expect the teenager to be prompt. Practically throwing her shoes into the bottom of the wardrobe, Liv hung the holdalls off the doorknob and reached for her backpack. She pulled out her hairbrush and makeup bag; putting them beside the mirror on the table, before thrusting her hand back into the backpack. Her hand stilled as it closed around a book. After a moment she pulled it out and stared at it, remembering.

It was a gardening book and if there hadn’t been memories attached to it she would no longer have it in her possession. Liv had never read the battered paperback; she had absolutely no interest in gardening. But it had belonged to perhaps the only person, apart from Emma, who hadn’t made her feel like a nuisance during her childhood. Irene, the mother of one of her foster Dads, had given it to her during one of their afternoons together. Michael and Clare, Irene’s son and daughter-in-law, used to drop Liv at the elderly woman’s house for several hours at least four times a week and the two would drink tea and inevitably wander in the same circuit around the garden while Irene lectured her on the plants growing there. Liv didn’t care about the plants and she didn’t care that she heard the same talk every time. She was just happy to feel wanted for once.

But then someone had found out what her foster parents were doing and she had been taken away. Irene was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, Liv found out later, and was in no fit state to be looking after a six-year-old unsupervised. The girl knew that Irene wasn’t a danger to her, but apparently that wasn’t good enough and she wasn’t allowed to even visit from her new group home. Then one day a package had been delivered to the home; a package continuing the gardening book and a letter informing the girl that Irene had died and wanted her to have the book to remember her by.

But it wasn’t the book that Liv was interested in now. She opened it quickly; flipping through the pages in search of the paper she knew was tucked inside. Except that it wasn’t. Her heart clenched and a cold chill ran through her when she realised that the letter wasn’t there. Liv hadn’t thought much about the letter that had set her on her search for Emma in almost a year before Henry had brought it up.

Henry.

Suddenly Liv knew where the letter was and she was furious. She had told Henry to drop the subject and he obviously hadn’t. The teenager didn’t want to know who had sent the letter or why. She honestly didn’t _want_ to know who her parents were. Unlike Emma, who had always wanted to find out where she came from and get answers from the people who gave her away, Liv had never really cared. It had happened and now she was over it. Mostly.

“Liv? Didn’t you hear me calling?” Regina demanded, bursting into her room. She stopped when the teenager glanced up at her, almost looking through her, from the bed. “What’s wrong?”

“The… the letter… it’s gone.” She hissed, her hands clenching and unclenching as she trained her gaze on the book.

“Letter?”

“The one I told you about… the one about my parents. It was in here… Henry must have…”

Regina arched an eyebrow. “Are you calling my son a thief?”

Liv stared back unflinchingly. “Yes. Not in general, but when he’s set his mind on something…”

“You have a point.” The brunette agreed. She sighed. “Come and have dinner and then I’ll phone Emma and ask her to talk to Henry.”

Reluctantly the teenager nodded and got up off the bed. She was still clenching and unclenching her fists and trying to take deep breaths. Her anger at Henry’s intrusion into her privacy was fighting against her desire to stay in Storybrooke. If she kicked off Regina would throw her out, but controlling the urge to storm round to the apartment and demand answers was difficult. She felt her anger rolling inside her, building and gathering, biting it down with difficulty.

Liv trailed down the stairs after the Mayor and followed her into the dining room, taking the seat that Regina gestured towards. The woman poured herself a glass of wine, before offering the bottle to the girl. Liv stared at it as though it was some kind of trick.

“You do remember I’m only seventeen, right?”

“Of course I do.” Regina rolled her eyes. “But one glass with your dinner can’t hurt, can it?”

Liv nodded and held out her glass. The brunette smiled as she poured, leaving the glass only half full. Not complaining, the teenager took a sip, before turning her attention to the meal in front of her: steak and vegetables. It was delicious and Liv realised that Henry hadn’t been over exaggerating when he said that his Mom was an amazing cook. As she ate, Liv managed to get her emotions under control and regain some semblance of calm.

Wolfing it down in record time, the teenager arranged her cutlery neatly on her plate and looked over at Regina. The woman was regarding her with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

“I take it you enjoyed that?”

“Oh, yes. Thank you. It was gorgeous.”

Silence fell for a couple of moments, before Regina set down her knife and fork as well. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything for desert.”

“That’s OK.” Liv assured her, rising and picking up the plates before the brunette could move, carrying the crockery through to the kitchen.

“You don’t have to clear up.” Regina told her, leaning against the counter beside the girl as she started to load the plates into the dishwasher.

“I want to.”

The Mayor smirked and shrugged. “Well I won’t stop you.”

Liv laughed softly, well aware that the woman was watching her carefully, no doubt ready to point out immediately when she did something wrong. As she’d suspected, Regina stepped forwards to rearrange the cutlery in the little basket, before stepping back again and continuing to watch in silence.

When she had finished, the girl turned around. Her eye fell on a bowl of juicy looking red apples on the counter. “Can I have an apple?”

Regina looked surprised, but handed her one anyway. “I thought you didn’t like apples?”

“I love them.” Liv told her, taking a large bite from the piece of fruit. “You just assumed I didn’t.” When the brunette looked nonplussed by her remark, the teenager elaborated. “In the diner, when I joked about you giving me a poisoned apple you said that I would probably notice an apple being added to my diet and I didn’t correct you. But it would have been true if you’d said orange or banana or something… I can’t stand most fruit. But I can’t imagine ever eating too many apples. You just need to learn not to make assumptions, Madam Mayor.”

“It’s a good job I have a ready supply, then.” With a smile, Regina led the way from the kitchen and into the sitting room. “I sent Emma a message and she said she’d ask Henry about your letter.”

“Thank you.” They sat in thoughtful silence for a couple of moments, the Mayor taking small sips of her wine and the teenager chewing her apple. “It’s not the letter itself…” She wasn’t looking at Regina as she spoke. Instead she kept her eyes trained on the apple core in her hand. “It’s… you know Henry better than I do. Once he gets something into his head, he won’t stop until he’s got it. I don’t _want_ to know where that letter came from and if it’s true. I’m happy where I am.”

“You’re happy?”

Liv glanced up and met the woman’s eyes. She couldn’t define the expression she saw there. “Yeah?”

“Here?”

“Err… yeah?”

“Really?”

“Regina! You’re freaking me out!” The teenager exclaimed, slightly disturbed by the woman’s apparent need for affirmation. Liv would have guessed that she hadn’t looked for approval or reassurance in a long time. She always seemed so sure of herself. “I am happy, right now, sitting right here on the couch.”

The brunette simply nodded sharply. Apparently she had decided that she was giving too much away, showing too much of her real self, because when she spoke again it was with a distinctly authoritative tone. “We’ve decided that you should have another week to recover before coming back to work. If you require longer we can work something out.”

“Oh… have you got someone covering me?”

“My friend Kathryn has been coming in for a couple of hours every day while you were… we’ve managed.”

“Sorry…”

Regina frowned. “What for?”

“For… for…” Honestly, Liv wasn’t entirely sure what she was apologising for. “Stuff.”

“Very eloquent.” The Mayor sniffed. “Clearly you’ve been spending far too much time with Miss Swan.”

“You still call her _Miss Swan_? Like, seriously? Do you call her that when–?”

“Olivia!” Regina cut her off, looking as though she really didn’t want to hear the end of that sentence.

“Don’t call me that.” The teenager’s tone was somewhere between demanding and pleading.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Is it not your name?”

“Technically, but I… I don’t… please just… call me Liv.”

“Why?”

The simple question threw Liv completely. She gaped at Regina for a moment, before standing quickly and rushing out of the room. In the kitchen, she dropped her apple core in the trash, before leaning heavily against the counter. Her hands gripped the edge tightly and she breathed deeply, concentrating on the air rushing in and out of her lungs.

For the most part she was fine with her past. Things had happened that she would have preferred not to have happened, but they were done and thinking about how things could have been different wouldn’t change them. What was done was done.

Calmer, she returned to the sitting room. Regina was sitting on the couch where the teenager had left her, but now she was nursing a large glass of scotch thoughtfully. She said nothing as Liv awkwardly took her seat once more, twisting her hands in her lap and staring at them as though they were fascinating. Part of her was dreading the woman repeating her question. Another part of her was hoping she would.

“I won’t pry anymore.” Regina told her after a couple of moment’s silence.

“It’s fine.”

“Is it?”

Liv paused. “Mostly.”

“So no, then.” Regina concluded. “Everyone has a past and, as Emma reminded me very recently, it’s your past that makes you who you are.” She reached out hesitantly and touched Liv’s cheek. “Go to bed, Miss Reilly. You need your sleep.”

* * *

The next morning it took the teenager almost a full five minutes to remember where she was. She knew that she wasn’t in Emma’s room in the Charmings’ apartment. She also knew that she wasn’t in her hospital bed. But she couldn’t quite figure out where she _was_. The only thing she knew for certain in those first few moments between being asleep and being awake was that she felt like she was home.

Then she remembered where she actually was and wondered why she felt so relaxed. She’d been there a matter of hours. Frowning to herself, the teenager glanced at the clock as she hauled herself out of bed. It was almost eleven and Regina would definitely be at work so she didn’t bother changing out of her pyjamas.

Padding down the stairs, she headed slowly into the kitchen. Yawning and stretching, she made her way towards the coffee machine and flipped the switch. Even after almost fourteen hours sleep she couldn’t function without caffeine. While the girl waited for the coffee to brew, she looked around the kitchen. Her eye fell on a folded scrap of paper on the counter and she picked it up curiously.

**_‘Liv,_ **

****

**_I didn’t want to wake you before I left for work. I should be back around five. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen._ **

****

**_Do_ ** ** not _destroy anything._ **

****

**_Regina.’_ **

Snorting with laughter at the last order on the paper, the girl shook her head as she re-read it, before dropping the note back onto the counter and pouring herself a mug of coffee. Taking it into the living room, she switched on the television and settled herself on the couch.

Walking into the kitchen to put her fourth empty cup in the dishwasher a long while later, she briefly thought that she should go shower and dress, but Liv found that she couldn’t be bothered. It was only about two and Regina wouldn’t be back for hours.

No sooner had the thought drifted from her mind than an insistent banging on the front door made her jump. Grabbing an apple as she passed the bowl, the teenager went to answer it before whoever was knocking caused any damage. That would probably count as destroying something and Regina had expressly warned her not to do that. Liv grinned as she thought about that and twisted the latch.

“Liv!” Mary Margaret exclaimed the second the door was open. She dragged the teenager into her arms, hugging her tightly. “Are you OK?”

“Err… yeah?” She tried to pull away slightly, wondering why the woman was asking that, but Liv found that she was trapped in the embrace. “Are you?”

At that, Mary Margaret let her go, but only enough to stand back and look at her. Her mouth dropped open. “What has she done to you?”

“Huh?”

“Regina. What’s she done to you?”

Liv was totally confused. “Nothing? Why?”

“Then why are you wearing _that_?” Mary Margaret asked.

After a split-second where the girl just stared at the woman, Liv burst out laughing. She stood aside and beckoned Mary Margaret inside, before closing the door behind her and leading the bemused woman into the sitting room. Liv dropped onto the couch, motioning for Mary Margaret to join her. After a moment’s hesitation she did, perching uncomfortably on the fabric.

“Are you going to tell me?” She prompted gently once the teenager had controlled her laughter.

“These are my pyjamas, Mary Margaret.” Liv informed her, wafting her hand vaguely over the tiny shorts and stomach-baring tank top she was wearing. They could rival some of Ruby’s outfits, although, unlike the waitress, she would never wear them in public. “Why? Were you imagining that Regina was some kind of sex-crazed pervert who was trying to corrupt me?”

The woman blushed. Liv wasn’t sure whether it was because of her words or because that was exactly what she had been imagining. Whichever option was true, her reaction amused the girl and she grinned. Raising the apple she had been shining on the throw beside her to her lips, she was genuinely surprised when Mary Margaret’s hand shot out and sent the apple flying across the room.

“What the hell?”

“You can’t trust her.”

“It’s just an apple!” Liv pointed out. Then her mouth made an ‘o’ shape as she realised what the problem was. “Is this about the whole cursed apple thing? Because she doesn’t do that shit anymore.”

“You make it sound like she’s some kind of addict.”

Pausing for a moment, she considered that description. “I guess she kinda was. Now she’s in rehab.”

“Do you want to come home?” Mary Margaret asked gently.

“No.” Liv told her at once. Seeing the woman’s face crumple she sighed. “Not… I mean… I don’t _not_ want to come back to the apartment, but I don’t want to leave here. I’m safe, I promise. Regina won’t hurt me.” She smirked. “The second she starts trying to seduce me I’ll call you.”

“It’s not funny!”

“I know… it’s actually kind of a gross thought seeing as–” She forced herself to stop talking abruptly before she spilled the woman’s daughter’s secret.

“Seeing as…?”

“Well, the age difference for one thing… and the fact that she’s my boss. Maybe it’s not gross more… inappropriate?” She babbled, trying to think of a good enough reason. Seeing that Mary Margaret was about to start questioning her again she stood up. “I guess I should take a shower and actually get dressed. I’m fine, I promise. Am I still invited to dinner tomorrow night?”

“Of course!” The woman beamed, instantly distracted by the question. “Six o’clock suit you?”

“Perfect.”

Liv ushered the raven-haired woman to the front door and said goodbye. She exhaled sharply as soon as the door was closed behind her, wondering how long she’d be able to last before she slipped up and informed her of Emma and Regina’s relationship.


	17. Chapter 17

Liv was in love with the shower in the guest bathroom. She had spent an hour just standing under the spray until she realised that she should probably get out and get dressed. Standing in front of her wardrobe, she scrutinised her clothes carefully. For a moment she wondered whether to put on something that Regina might approve of. Then she shrugged and decided against the idea. The woman knew what she was like when she offered her a room.

Once she was more appropriately attired than she had been when Mary Margaret came round, the teenager wandered out of her room. She stared at the closed door of Henry’s bedroom for a moment. The spiteful, vengeful part of her wanted nothing more than to go inside and get her own back for him stealing the letter. But the other part of her remembered that he was just a kid; a dreamy, overenthusiastic kid who thought everything was part of one big fairy tale.

After a long internal battle the vengeful part of her was defeated, just, and she turned and headed downstairs instead. It was almost half past four; she wasn’t really sure where the time had gone that afternoon. Liv briefly considered attempting to cook something for Regina for when she came in from work. But then she remembered that she had no idea how to make the simplest meal and dismissed the thought quickly.

“Maybe I should ask Regina to teach me?” She mused out loud.

“Teach you what?” A voice asked behind her.

Liv screamed and whirled round to face the intruder. Henry’s grinning face did little to slow her heart rate. “Shit, rat boy! What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t Regina tell you we were coming over for dinner?” Emma asked, appearing behind her son and grinning at the girl.

“No? But she’s not back ‘til five.”

Emma nodded. “We thought we’d come over early and make dinner.”

“I thought about doing that.” Liv admitted. “But then I remembered I can’t even bake soup. That’s what I was gonna ask Regina to teach me; cooking.”

Henry burst out laughing. “You don’t _bake_ soup, Liv. Even I know that!”

“Yeah, whatever. I still can’t do it.” She narrowed her eyes and jabbed her finger at the boy, suddenly remembering what he’d done. “And _you_ don’t get to take the piss out of me.”

“Oi, watch your language, Liv!” Emma ordered. Then she turned to her son and folded her arms. “Henry?”

He sighed and reached a hand into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. It was far more crumpled than it had been the last time Liv had seen it and she frowned as she reached out and grabbed it from him. “I’m sorry I took it. I just _really_ wanted to find out what it meant. I _know_ there’s something–”

“Thank you.” She said firmly, cutting him off. Almost as though she thought Henry might be trying to trick her, she unfolded the paper and ran her eyes over it quickly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she re-read the familiar words and when she looked up, Emma and Henry were both watching her. “It’s… I… Have you read it?”

The blonde’s nod was almost non-existent. “I couldn’t help myself. Sorry…”

Liv nodded and turned wordlessly. She headed up the stairs and into her bedroom, slipping the letter back into the gardening book and putting it on the nightstand. Resting her hand on it for a moment, she closed her eyes. Then she inhaled sharply and went to join the others in the kitchen. Pausing before she entered the room, the girl listened to the conversation taking place inside.

“But Ma… you said you thought you recognised the writing too.” Henry was almost whining at his mother.

“ _Thought_ , Henry. I said I thought I _might_ recognise it. But it wasn’t exactly unusual, was it?”

“But if we both recognised it then it must be someone in Storybrooke.” He continued, unwilling to give in.

“Henry!”

“Can I at least try and work out who’s writing it is?” He almost pleaded.

“Liv said she didn’t want to know.” Emma reminded him.

“She doesn’t have to.”

Her feet seemed to carry her forward without her permission and she walked into the kitchen. The woman and her son stopped talking at once. They didn’t mention the letter as they started preparing dinner. Emma tried to teach the teenager as they went along, but it was clear that her mind was elsewhere.

There was a mouth-watering smell permeating the entire ground floor by the time Regina walked into the house. She seemed a little surprised as three figures surged into the foyer to greet her. There was a frighteningly domesticated feel to the moment as Henry hugged his brunette mother tightly and Emma leant in to give Regina a quick peck on the lips. Liv hung back, watching them for a minute or two, before walking back into the kitchen to leave the little family to their moment.

Busying herself, she collected cutlery from the drawer and jammed four placemats under her arm. Moving into the dining room, she laid the table slowly, drawing it out for as long as she could. A peal of laughter alerted the teenager to the fact that at least Emma was in the kitchen again and Liv went back in, leaning awkwardly against the counters.

“Oh, Liv!” Regina smiled at her. “I was wondering where you’d got to.”

“I was laying the table.”

“Thanks, kid.” Emma mumbled, looking flustered as the alarm on the stove began to beep loudly and she rushed around trying to do several things at the same time.

The Mayor sighed, but she smiled too, moving forward to help her girlfriend. “Liv, go and wash up ready for dinner. Tell Henry too.”

The teenager did as she was told and a short while later the four of them were seated at the dining table tucking into Emma’s creation. Three of them regarded it dubiously, making the blonde pout at their lack of faith in her cooking ability. As though trying to prove a point, she began to shovel her dinner into her mouth, sighing appreciatively.

“This is so good!” She told them.

Tentatively they tucked in and had to admit that it _was_ pretty good. The vegetables she’d thrown together with some kind of meat in a stew – Liv couldn’t remember what the blonde had said it was – were actually very tasty.

“You’re right, Ma!” Henry agreed.

Regina looked around the table and sighed. “The three of you eat like animals.”

“What kind of animals?” Liv asked curiously, earning herself a snort of amusement from Emma, a giggle from Henry and a roll of Regina’s eyes. “Because if you were thinking pigs, I’ll have you know that they’re very polite. Apparently. I really have no idea because I’ve never been out to dinner with one. Not an _animal_ pig, anyway.”

Not bothering to respond, Regina merely snorted and continued to eat in an even more dignified way, making a point. The conversation turned to their days and they all looked expectantly at Liv as Emma asked how she’d occupied herself.

“Watched some TV… had a shower… oh! And your Mom came round.” The teenager told her with a grin. “I was still in my pyjamas and she was acting as though Regina was some kind of pervert who was trying to seduce me. It was hilarious.” Henry wrinkled his nose disgustedly at her words, Emma almost choked on her dinner as she started laughing and Regina looked ready to kill. “I promised I’d call her if you tried anything.”

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have told her I’d locked you in the basement.” She mused, her fork pausing for a moment as she raised it to her lips. Emma, Henry and Liv stared at her, trying to work out whether she was joking.

“Are you serious?” Emma asked, a smirk tugging at her lips.

“Quite serious, dear. She barged into my office and demanded to know what I thought I was doing.” Regina informed them calmly. “I told her that I was planning on moulding Liv into my slave and, as such, I’d locked her in the basement to ensure she didn’t escape.”

“You are… amazing.” Liv burst out laughing. “No wonder she looked so worried!”

The brunette simply gave a small twitch of her shoulders and pursed her lips as her eyes found Emma’s. “I hope you’ll learn to control your mother when she finds out that it’s not Liv I’m interested in, dear.”

“I’ll do my best.” Emma promised with a wink, reaching out and squeezing Regina’s hand.

“I think that’s our cue to clear the dishes, Henry.” Liv told him, pushing her chair back. He gaped at her, as though the concept was completely unnatural. “Come on!”

“You’ve got her well trained already, Gina.” The blonde laughed, watching the teenager pile their plates up and prod the boy in the head to get him to help.

Henry sighed deeply and reluctantly stood up. His mothers smiled at the petulant expression on his face as he picked up the water glasses and followed Liv from the room. When he returned to collect the placemats, Regina reminded him that he needed to get his homework done before he could watch TV and Emma suggested that he asked Liv for help. The teenager read between the lines easily, knowing that neither she nor Henry were wanted for a little while and agreed to the boy’s request without question.

His English assignment was fine, but she really struggled with the math, prompting Henry to announce that she was worse than his blonde mother at the subject. Liv simply rolled her eyes and suggested that they went to Granny’s for hot chocolate when they were done. This spurred the boy on and he had the homework finished in record time.

“Wait here, I’ll go check it’s OK.” Liv suggested when they reached the foyer.

Henry nodded and she walked to the living room door, twisting the handle and moving inside. Opening her mouth to ask the question, the teenager closed it promptly, turned on her heel and left the room. She had _not_ needed to see the two women entwined on the couch; Regina straddling her girlfriend’s lap, her hands buried in the blonde curls and her head thrown back as Emma kissed her neck fervently. She was disturbed to realise that the image seemed to be burnt into her memory. Shaking her head, as though that would rid her of it, Liv blinked down at Henry. She blocked the door as he reached for the handle, obviously wondering what had caused the expression on her face.

“Don’t!” Liv ordered, swatting his hand away from the door. “Do not go in there.”

“Why? Are they OK?”

“That’s not the issue… there are just some things a kid should not see his moms doing.”

His face screwed up instantly. “They’re not…”

“Oh, I really hope not…” Liv shuddered at the thought of walking in on them having sex. “I _think_ they’re just making out. Let’s just leave them a note and get out of here. They probably won’t even notice we’re gone.”

The boy nodded and waited patiently while she scribbled a short note to the two women, leaving it on the hallstand. Then they left the house, making their way along the street towards the centre of town. Liv could tell that Henry was itching to bring up the letter that he’d stolen from her, but she resolutely refused to rise to his bait.

Ordering a hot chocolate for him and a coffee for her, Liv smiled warmly at Ruby and answered her questions about the crash and her health briefly, before retreating to slide into a booth in the corner opposite Henry. He took a large gulp of his drink and the teenager laughed at the cream moustache that appeared on his upper lip, before throwing a napkin at him so he could wipe it off. She laughed even harder at the indignant expression he adopted as it hit him directly in the face.

“Henry!” A deep voice beside their table made Liv jump and caused her to almost spill her coffee down herself. She turned to frown at the person who’d startled her, her eyes locking with Neal’s. “You alright buddy?”

“Yeah!” The boy smiled warmly, shuffling over so that his father could sit beside him.

“How you feeling, Liv?”

She gave a quiet grunt in response, avoiding his eyes. He looked a little confused, but didn’t mention it, turning his whole attention on his son. They chatted for a while and the girl tuned out, pulling faces at Ruby behind the counter and concentrating on drinking her coffee until Neal getting to his feet caught her attention and she looked up. He shot her a smile, but didn’t say anything as he walked away.

“Asshole…” She muttered under her breath.

“Hey!” Liv looked at Henry and saw that he was clutching a scrap of paper in his hand.

“What’s that?” She asked, ignoring his complaint and pointing at the paper suspiciously.

“My dad wrote down the name of a video game he thought I’d like. I’m gonna see if Ma will get it for me.” Henry informed her.

“Yeah?” Liv asked disinterestedly. He nodded and folded the paper in two. Then he frowned and unfolded it again, flipping it over and staring at the back with wide eyes. “What?”

“That writing… it’s the same as your letter!”

“Henry…”

“No, Liv, look!”

She frowned and reached across the table for the paper, sparing it a cursory glance before handing it back. “Yeah, maybe… are you saying your dad sent the letter?”

Henry shook his head. “No… that’s his writing. It’s different, see!”

Before she could agree or disagree, he was out of the booth and running towards the door. Liv growled, grabbed their coats and followed. Outside the diner she almost ran straight into the boy who was standing still and staring along the street. Urging him to put his coat on, Liv eased herself into her jacket and put her hands on her hips as he muttered unintelligibly, before setting off along the street again.

With an exasperated roll of her eyes, Liv sprinted after him. Whether she felt perfectly fine or not, she was sure that running like this less than a week after waking from a coma wasn’t exactly the best plan. Nevertheless, she followed Henry through the town and skidded to a halt beside him outside the pawnbroker’s shop. Her curiosity rocketed; she had never had a reason to come here before and she had never met the owner, although she’d heard a lot about Mr Gold. Regina and Emma had both been surprised to hear that she’d never even seen him.

“What are we doing here, Henry?” She demanded, hiding her curiosity behind an exasperated sigh.

“Mr Gold wrote your letter. I wanna know why.”

“Are you sure?” Liv asked, sighing again and folding her arms over her chest. “You can’t just accuse people of writing letters to sixteen-year-old girls in the foster system that they’ve never met, you know. It doesn’t exactly make him sound… normal.”

“He’s not normal; he’s Rumplestiltskin.” He reminded her with a shrug. “Which means that there’s definitely something going on.”

“I really don’t think–” She started, laying a hand firmly on his arm and intending to pull him away.

The door opened with a tinkle of the bell before she could finish her sentence. Mr Gold himself stood in the doorway, leaning on his cane and running his eyes over the pair curiously. Henry opened his mouth to speak, but the man smiled and ushered them inside before he could. Reluctantly, Liv followed the boy into the shop. Her eyes darted around at the assembled curiosities uncomfortably.

“Henry, what can I do for you?” Gold asked pleasantly, his eyes never leaving the girl. “This must be Miss Reilly. I’m glad to see you recovered so well after your accident.”

“Umm… thanks?”

“Is this your writing?” Henry demanded, holding out the paper for the man to inspect.

Gold frowned lightly. “Yes… where did you get this?”

“My dad wrote something on the other side for me.” The boy explained, waving his hand distractedly. “Did you send a letter to Liv on her sixteenth birthday?”

The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead he turned a searching gaze on the teenager. She didn’t like the look in his eyes – amusement mixing with a hint of vindictiveness. Without waiting to hear what he was going to say, she turned on her heels and strode from the shop, slamming the door behind her.

It wasn’t until she was leaving the main part of the town and heading into the outskirts where Regina’s house was that Henry caught up with her, breathing hard. Liv refused to slow down or acknowledge his presence beside her in any way until he slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it tightly. Then, her steps faltered and she slowed to a halt, looking down at him.

“He didn’t answer.” Henry informed her softly.

“I told you I didn’t want to know.” Liv reminded him, her voice almost non-existent.

“Sorry…”

She just nodded, not letting go of his hand as they rounded the corner and their eyes fell on the big white house that was their destination. They walked in silence and Liv opened the gate, ushering him ahead of her up the path. Letting them in, she smiled tightly and said she was going to bed, before heading upstairs and leaving him staring after her.


	18. Chapter 18

Despite going to bed so early, Liv didn’t sleep. She heard Henry going to bed a couple of hours after she had said goodnight and heard the sound of Regina’s bedroom door closing a short while after that. Lying awake in the dark, she stared up at the ceiling and wondered whether Henry had told his mothers about their impromptu trip to Mr Gold’s shop and what he suspected.

The memory of the look in the man’s eyes as he’d stared at her sent shivers down Liv’s spine and she closed her own eyes tightly, trying to get rid of the image. The eyes were imprinted on the darkness. At that moment she’d take the image of Regina and Emma on the couch over Gold’s eyes willingly. 

Finally she managed to snatch a few hours of sleep, but when she woke and her eyes fell on the clock she saw that it was just after seven. With a deep sigh Liv rolled out of bed and went for a shower. However great the shower was, it didn’t make her feel any better that morning and soon she was out and dressed.

Sounds from the kitchen drew her attention and she headed for them. Opening the door, she saw Emma and Henry seated at the breakfast bar tucking into their breakfasts, while Regina busied herself at the stove. It was like a family scene straight from a TV show and even just standing in the doorway, Liv felt as though she was intruding.

“Good morning, Liv.” Regina called, turning and catching sight of her just as she was making up her mind to turn and go back upstairs. “Eggs?”

“What dragged you out of bed so early?” Emma asked, her mouth full of her breakfast.

“I… couldn’t sleep.” Liv answered truthfully, taking a seat and smiling up at the brunette as she set a plate in front of her. “Thanks.”

“Because of–” Henry started, but both his mothers turned to glare at him in unison, leaving the teenager in no doubt that he had told them about Mr Gold.

Emma abruptly changed the topic of conversation and Liv listened as she and Henry argued about the movie they’d watched the night before after she’d gone to bed. Apparently Regina had agreed to sit through one of her son’s beloved superhero movies, although she refused to join in the conversation taking place, leading the teenager to conclude that she probably hadn’t been paying much attention.

“As… enlightening… as this conversation is,” Regina said a while later when the pair were still arguing over the movie, “you really ought to get going. Henry needs to get his things for school and I’m assuming you’ll need to change before going to the station, Sheriff?”

“Oh… yeah.” Emma seemed to suddenly remember that she was dressed in her clothes from the night before. “Come on, kid.”

Liv waited at the breakfast bar while the two women and Henry disappeared into the foyer. A couple of moments later the front door opened and closed and the tapping of Regina’s heels alerted the teenager to the fact she was returning to the kitchen. Slipping off the stool, Liv rounded the breakfast bar and collected up the empty plates before depositing them in the dishwasher.

She placed the pan that Regina had used to cook the eggs in the sink and began to clean it gently in the soapy water. The brunette was watching her carefully from across the room; the teenager was well aware of that fact, but unwilling to admit to it. Instead she concentrated on an imaginary spot on the pan, scrubbing at it more roughly. In a couple of strides, Regina had stopped at her side and reached into the sink, resting her hand on Liv’s for a moment, before pulling the cloth from her hand and turning her slowly.

“Are you alright?”

“Fine.”

“Miss Reilly–”

“Madam Mayor.” The teenager exhaled sharply. “I’m guessing that Henry told you that he thinks Mr Gold wrote that letter?”

“He did.”

“But why would he? I’ve never met the guy before and he’s never met me. What possible reason would he have to send it? What would he want from me?”

Regina pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes. “That, my dear, is the question.”

Liv shook her head. “Don’t tell me that you believe Henry?”

“I wouldn’t put anything past Rumplestiltskin.” The brunette almost hissed, turning away from the teenager and tapping her nails agitatedly on the counter top. “But why? What does he get out of all this?”

The teenager thought that everyone was going mad. She understood why Henry was so fixated on the whole thing; he was Henry. But she hadn’t expected the Mayor to act this way. She had expected Regina to dismiss any idea that Gold had something to do with the letter instantly. It appeared, however, that the opposite was true.

Pulling herself away from her thoughts, Regina glanced at the time. “I have to go.”

“Can I… can I come with you?” Liv asked before she could stop herself. “I don’t like being here on my own.”

“Why?”

She was thrown by the question and almost blurted out the truth; that she felt safer with either Regina or Emma around. Instead she caught herself just in time and shrugged. “I get bored easy.”

The Mayor eyed her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. “Go and choose a book to bring with you; I have a lot to get through today. And no,” she started before Liv could speak, “you are not doing any work. We agreed a week’s rest, remember? Besides, I’m not paying Kathryn to do your job if you’re doing it yourself.”

Seeing that there was no sense arguing, Liv nodded and hurriedly left the room. She stood in front of the bookshelf in Regina’s study and gazed at the spines with something close to contempt. None of them leapt out at her until her eyes reached the bottom shelf, which housed Henry’s books. Running her eyes along the titles, she pulled out the final Harry Potter book and tucked it under her arm.

“I see you have the same literary tastes as my eleven-year-old son.” Regina said, holding out the girl’s coat as she waited beside the door. “I can’t say I’m surprised. What _does_ surprise me is that you’ve evidently read the previous six.”

“Hey! And don’t make out like you haven’t read them. Harry Potter is awesome.”

The Mayor rolled her eyes as they walked to her car. “I assure you I _haven’t_ read them, Miss Reilly. Quite frankly the idea of attending a school to learn magic is absurd. It’s a ridiculous book.”

“You mean you didn’t get taught transfiguration by Professor McGonagall?” The girl teased. When Regina sniffed disdainfully in response, Liv grinned. “You’d have definitely been a Slytherin; I can just imagine you hanging out with Voldemort and torturing muggles.”

“Excuse me?”

“It was a joke.” Liv assured her quickly, seeing that she’d inadvertently upset the woman. “Sorry…”

Silence descended between them as Regina drove the short distance to the Town Hall. She pulled up in her usual parking space and climbed out of the car, forcing Liv to trail along behind her. The teenager sighed, kicking herself for putting her foot in her mouth quite so consistently.

Regina smiled at Kathryn who was already sitting behind the desk in the foyer, explaining that Liv was there so the Mayor could keep an eye on her, before entering her office. Liv smiled at the blonde in her seat, before following Regina and closing the office door. She settled herself awkwardly on the sofa and watched as the brunette began sorting through the mail on her desk.

“Do you need help with a big word or something?”

Liv jumped as the woman addressed her snappily. Then she shook her head and opened the book quickly and immersed herself in the story. She was slightly annoyed to realise that, with everything she had learnt recently, some of the magic seemed to have gone from the book. She could see why Regina thought it was ridiculous and that irritated her immensely.

Persevering through the pages, the teenager had just started chapter eight when the sound of someone clearing their throat made her look up. Liv was taken aback at the sight of the Mayor standing directly in front of her with her hands on her hips.

“You’re a fast reader.” She observed dryly.

“Everyone’s got to be good at something, right?” Liv reasoned with a shrug.

“I suppose.” Regina agreed. “Although I don’t think being a fast reader usually counts as a talent.” She paused. “I need to head out for a while. Will you be alright here?” Liv nodded, sensing that Regina wasn’t giving her any choice. “I’ll bring lunch when I come back.”

Briefly wondering where the Mayor was going, the teenager shrugged and forced herself to concentrate on the book once more. It was easier to let the story fill her mind than give in to the uncomfortable thoughts that were trying to force her to confront things she really didn’t want to.

* * *

Regina strode from her office and out into the parking lot. The Sheriff’s car was parked up beside her own car and, arching an eyebrow, she waited until the blonde climbed out of it with a huff. The Mayor refused to be driven around like some common criminal and so they’d arranged to meet here and take the Mercedes instead.

“Did your parents buy your ‘I fell asleep on the couch’ story?” Regina asked with a small smile.

Emma laughed. “David did, definitely. I think Mary Margaret was a little more suspicious. After I assured her that Liv isn’t sleeping in the basement she seemed to relax, though.”

“Good.”

“Did you tell her where we’re going?” Emma asked with a curious glance at her girlfriend as Regina pulled out of the parking lot.

“No.” The Mayor replied shortly.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” the blonde started, reaching out and laying a hand on the brunette’s knee, “but why are you getting so… involved… in what happens to Liv?”

“If Gold sent that letter because he wants her here in Storybrooke for some reason then it won’t be good. Liv has no idea what that man’s like and she’s in danger.”

Emma nodded slowly. “Yes… but why…”

“She likes me, Emma.” Regina murmured in such a small voice the blonde almost thought she’d imagined it. “I didn’t have to force her to or trick her or… I didn’t even _want_ her to like me. I’ve finally found something good with you and Henry and Liv, something that feels real for the first time in so long. But everything good gets taken away from me and I… I can’t let that happen again.”

“No one is going to take it away from you.” Emma assured her seriously. “No one; I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Miss Swan.” Regina ordered sadly.

“Gina, I–”

But the Mayor pulled up outside Mr Gold’s shop and was out of the car before Emma could finish what she had been trying to say. The blonde sighed deeply, knowing that Regina would currently be beating herself up for saying too much about how she was feeling. She was glad that she wasn’t the focus of the Mayor’s anger at the moment.

The bell tinkled loudly as the two women walked into the pawnshop. Gold was standing behind the counter and looked up as they walked in. He smiled broadly at their presence. “Ahh… I assume you’re here because of Henry’s visit last night?”

“Did you send that letter?” Regina demanded.

“Now why would I do that, dearie?” He asked, smiling even more widely.

“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

“Why are you so interested?”

Emma folded her arms angrily. “Because if you want something from the kid, then we want to know what and why.”

Gold laughed, his eyes flickering between the two women in amusement. “This is a sight to see; the Saviour and the Evil Queen working together to protect a child. Then again, you’ve always had a soft spot for children in trouble, haven’t you Regina?”

“She’s not–” Emma started, fully intending to defend her girlfriend, but the brunette cut across her.

“What do you want with her?”

As though deciding to let them in on a big secret, Gold moved around the counter to lean against the opposite side, closer to the two women. “Miss Reilly is an extraordinary young woman, even by the standards of this town.”

Emma really hated it when the man made comments like that. It reminded her that he knew much more than she was comfortable with. Her feelings paled into insignificance when compared to the brunette’s, however, and Emma could feel Regina shaking with rage beside her. Not thinking, she reached out and grabbed the woman’s hand, interlacing their fingers and attempting to reassure her silently.

“What do you mean?” She spat, narrowing her eyes at him.

“You, Miss Swan, are the product of true love. Miss Reilly is the product of not only true love, but also a combination of the magic of good and evil. She is perhaps more powerful than any of us are aware.” He explained with an amused smirk.

“So… what? You brought her back here to use her magic in some way?” The blonde asked, glaring at the man in front of them. She knew Liv; the teenager didn’t have magic.

“Perhaps… or perhaps I simply thought it might be nice to reunite her with her parents. As it turns out, she appears to have been the one to unite them in the first place.” He stared meaningfully at their joined hands.

As his meaning suddenly filtered through into their minds, both Emma and Regina felt as though they’d been hit by a train. Was Gold honestly suggesting that Liv was their daughter? The thought knocked the breath from Emma’s lungs as she realised that that was exactly what the man was getting at.

“That’s ridiculous.” She snapped, an uncomfortable twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach. “For one thing, Liv is seventeen-years-old; she’s only twelve years younger than me… not quite even that. I didn’t even know Regina _existed_ back then. And then there’s the true love thing…” Emma furrowed her eyebrows slightly, wondering why that didn’t seem such a problem. “Not to mention the fact that we’re both women. I may not be great at biology, but even I know that’s not possible.”

“Actually it is.” Regina informed her quietly, her eyes fixed on Gold’s. “I have heard stories, back in the Enchanted Forest, that when true love and magic were combined… But Emma’s right. It’s not possible.”

“I assure you it is entirely possible.” Gold told them with a shrug, rounding the counter once more and using it as a barrier between him and the stunned women.

“How?” Regina almost begged for answers. She pulled her hand out of Emma’s grasp and leant heavily on the glass-topped counter. Her eyes roved over Gold’s face for any hint that he was lying. Her heart was thudding in her chest at his revelation, hope and disbelief mingling together and fighting for dominance. She just didn’t understand how it was possible. “How?”

“And isn’t that the question we’re all dying to know the answer to.” He teased, almost giggling and seeming much more like his fairy tale self than ever before.

Emma rushed forwards, slapping her hands flat on the counter beside Regina. “I swear to god if you don’t–”

“What will you do, dearie?” He asked, still sounding amused. As she opened her mouth to spit threats in his direction, he held up a hand. “It’s quite alright, I don’t need to hear. I suppose telling you won’t hurt.” Using his cane for support, he limped over to a shelf near the door to the back room and lifted down a book. Returning to the two women, he laid it on the counter. “It’s all in here. She was sent back in time.”

“That’s not–”

He cut Regina off. “If you’re about to say it’s not possible, Madam Mayor, I think we both know that’s not _strictly_ true. Not simple, not common, perhaps. But it is entirely possible.”

“But why would we do that?” Emma demanded, turning to Regina now, as though she held the answers. “Why would _I_ do that to my own kid?”

“You had Henry adopted.”

Emma’s eyes flashed dangerously in the man’s direction at his words. “That’s totally different! It was best for him. I had him _adopted_ ; I made sure there was someone to take him before I let him go. But… why the hell would I choose to put Liv into the foster system rather than being brought up by us?”

“This is something to do with you, isn’t it?” Regina demanded, her eyes narrowing so much they were almost slits. “This is down to you?”

He shrugged. “I may have helped. But I can assure you, dearie, the decision was all yours.” When they still looked as though they didn’t believe him, he pushed the book towards them. “It’s all in there.”


	19. Chapter 19

They went back to Regina’s house after leaving Gold’s shop. Neither of them spoke, they just knew where they were going. The brunette let them in and walked straight to the living room, opening the book on the coffee table and kneeling in front of it. Emma joined her after a moment’s hesitation, laying her hand on Regina’s arm as the woman flipped agitatedly through the pages.

Regina shook her off, muttering under her breath and gritting her teeth as she scanned the pages for the information they were after. Emma felt her heart contract at being pushed away. She was struggling with this too; she needed reassurance that everything was going to be alright. If anything, the blonde decided, she needed more reassurance because she really had no idea what was going on.

A sob escaped the brunette and her hand covered her mouth as her eyes moved across the page in front of her. Pulling herself together, Emma started reading the words that had caused her girlfriend to react as she had. She realised with a jolt that the pages Regina was reading didn’t belong with the rest of the book; they were like the ones from Henry’s fairy tale book, folded in half and tucked inside the book Gold had given them.

_The choice was made. The two women stood side-by-side and clung to each other for comfort as their baby was carried away, wrapped in a blanket and clutched tightly in the arms of Rumplestiltskin. They continued to watch as the man disappeared from sight, whisking their daughter out of their lives._

_“It’s for the best.” The Queen promised the woman beside her. Her voice was low and thick with emotion, as though she was only barely clinging on for the sake of the blonde. “For her and for everyone.”_

_“Really? You still believe that?” The White Knight replied hoarsely. “Because right now it feels like we’re making the worst mistake of our lives.”_

_“I know…” Regina sighed. “I know. But once she returns and fulfils her part in the Dark One’s prophecy we’ll get our chance at a happy ending.”_

_“Is it worth it?” Emma demanded. “Is it honestly worth it?”_

_The Queen turned away, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. “We don’t have a choice.”_

Regina turned the page and found that there was nothing written on the back. She frowned and flipped it over again, as though hoping more of the story would suddenly appear. She let out a quiet scream as the information remained hidden and buried her head in her hands.

“Hey, Regina, it’s OK.” Emma soothed, pulling her into her arms.

“It’s not OK!” She argued. “That twisted little imp lied about everything we needed to know being in this book. We still don’t know anything!”

The blonde shook her head. “We know that Rumplestiltskin took her and we know that it was because of some prophecy. We should go back to him and demand–”

Regina shook her head slowly. “If there’s a prophecy… we really _don’t_ have a choice, dear.”

“But… what if we just don’t have a kid? Liv’s here now, right. We just… stay as we are?”

“It doesn’t work like that.” The brunette told her, trying to stay calm and remind herself that Emma didn’t have the same knowledge as she did. The other woman was almost completely in the dark. “Liv is here now because we sent her back. If we don’t have a baby, then…”

“She won’t be here… like in _Back to the Future_?”

“I don’t know what that means, dear, but no she won’t be. She won’t exist.”

“And if we have a baby but don’t send her back?” Emma asked, fearing the answer would be the same.

A sharp nod confirmed her fears. “We would have our baby, but Liv would cease to exist. I… I don’t know if I could do that.” She cleared her throat as her voice broke. “And there’s still the matter of the prophecy. We don’t know what it is, but if Rumple’s that eager for it to be fulfilled…”

“It can’t be good.” The blonde murmured. Regina nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Rocking back to put some distance between them, Emma placed her hand on the brunette’s face, gently stroking her cheek with her thumb. “But d’you know what? This whole thing is showing just how much you’ve changed, Gina. You’re not the same woman you were… you’re…”

Embarrassed at the adoration shining in the blonde’s eyes and unable to believe that it could possibly be directed at her, Regina pulled away before Emma could tell her what she was. “So what do we do? Do we tell Liv?”

“Do we have a choice?”

“Apparently not…” The brunette murmured, thinking back to the story they’d just read. “But how can we get her to believe us? I mean… she hasn’t even been born yet.”

“Christ this is complicated…” Emma sighed. Then she looked up and met Regina’s eyes. “This is going to change everything.”

“In what way, dear?” Regina asked, her attention drifting back to the book in the hopes she could discover something else hidden within its pages.

“Well, apart from the fact that we now have a daughter who is older than our son, despite the fact that she hasn’t even been born yet?” The half joke was laced with fear as the implications of the situation washed over her. “Everyone’s gonna know, Regina. Neither of us wanted that until we were sure… sure of…”

The brunette looked up from the pages on the table in front of her and gazed at her girlfriend seriously. Her eyes locked with Emma’s and she gave a tiny, crooked smile. “More sure than true love, you mean?”

Emma’s mouth fell open. “You…”

Regina smiled; the bright, genuine smile that she had reserved only for her son for so long. “I love you, Sheriff Swan.”

“I… I…” Seeing panic appearing in the beautiful, expressive brown eyes at her reaction, Emma pulled herself together and leant forwards, capturing the woman’s lips in a searing kiss. Pulling away, she rested her forehead against Regina’s. “I love you too, Madam Mayor.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Regina whispered against her lips, “because we’re going to need that to protect our family.”

* * *

They had decided to tackle the issue of telling Liv who she was straight away. There was a little bit of excitement involved in the decision, but a whole lot more anxiety. There was no telling how the teenager would react to the news. Emma and Regina were almost definite that Liv wouldn’t believe them at first and they decided that if they could get the girl to attempt to do some magic she would start to consider the possibility that it was true.

Nervously the two women headed towards the Town Hall, stopping off at Granny’s to pick up a late lunch on their way. Ruby was nonplussed by the nervous excitement that was swirling round the two women like a cloud. The two women, who had been undeniably civil to each other recently, couldn’t seem to stop looking at each other, standing close enough to touch but never quite closing the gap. As they left together, Emma holding the door open for the Mayor to walk through first, Ruby wondered whether Liv had been right about them having feelings for each other. Spotting Ashley entering the diner with her baby daughter strapped to her body, she beckoned the blonde over and told her what she’d just witnessed.

Emma and Regina were completely unaware of the confusion they had caused within the young waitress as they made their way towards the Town Hall. They walked through the building towards Regina’s office hand-in-hand, not particularly caring if anyone saw them or not. It was too late to worry about secrecy now.

“You’ve been hours… it’s like… three.” Liv complained the second the door opened. “Seriously, I’m so hungry that I considered hacking my foot off with your letter opener and eating it.”

“Sounds a bit drastic, dear.” Regina replied calmly, holding out the paper bag containing grilled cheese and a soda they’d bought her at the diner. Once she’d taken it, the brunette tossed her an apple from the bowl on the desk. Liv caught it easily, raising an eyebrow. “Compromise; grilled cheese is unhealthy, an apple is healthy.”

Now that Emma knew who the teenager really was, she was stunned at how she hadn’t seen it before. The current expression on Liv’s face was all Regina; from the arched eyebrow to the slightly sarcastic, crooked smirk that was twisting her lips. The blonde gasped as the full force of the realisation hit her and scrutinised the girl’s face intently. It was as though she was seeing her for the first time after fourteen years of knowing her.

Liv’s chin was the same chin that she had inherited from Mary Margaret. Her cheekbones were all Emma’s. Her nose was Regina’s, as was the shape of her eyes. The _colour_ of her eyes, however, was unique to the teenager; although, when Emma actually studied the grey irises, she was surprised to discover that they were flecked with deep brown and green. It was astonishing.

“Have I got something on my face?” Liv demanded, glancing over to the blonde for the third time and finding herself being watched intently.

“Wha… what?” Emma blinked at her, blushing at being caught staring.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“There’s something we need to talk to you about.” Regina cut in smoothly, sensing her girlfriend’s discomfort. She sat on the sofa opposite Liv and smoothed her skirt over her knees nervously.

“D’you want me to leave?” Liv asked at once, looking directly into the brunette’s eyes.

The woman thought her heart was about to break at the resigned tone in the teenager’s voice. She didn’t look at all surprised about what she was obviously sure was coming her way and neither did she look upset. Regina was slightly alarmed to see that she seemed to have already accepted that it was going to happen.

“Why would we want you to leave?” She asked, confused as to why that was the girl’s first reaction.

“Everyone always asks me to leave. Well, they don’t usually ask, but it’s the same outcome. And… after the Mr Gold thing and… the crash… well, I’m better now, so you don’t have to feel like you should take care of me.”

“We don’t want you to leave.” Emma blurted out. “Ever.”

Liv arched an eyebrow and the blonde was again struck by how similar it was to Regina’s signature expression. “Ever?”

“What Emma is trying to say is…” Regina had started off so sure of herself, but trailed off as she tried to think of the best way to word the news she needed to impart. “Henry was right.”

“About what?”

The brunette exhaled sharply; Liv was not making this easy on them. She was so like Emma. That realisation forced her to close her mouth abruptly, stopping her answering the question and causing the teenager to stare at her in confusion. 

“Regina?”

“Henry was right when he said that Rumple sent you that letter. He wanted to bring you back here because…” She trailed off again, growing frustrated with herself. She was the Evil Queen; telling a teenage girl the truth should not have been this much of an issue. Shooting a glare at Emma, she signalled that the blonde should come and help.

Liv looked at her warily. For a moment something that appeared to be hope flared in her eyes. Then it vanished, replaced with uncertainty. “Are… are my parents here… in Storybrooke?” When Emma nodded at her dumbly, the teenager bit her lip. “Do they know about… do they know who I am?” Emma nodded again, making Liv inhale sharply. “So… why haven’t they… do they not want me?”

“No, sweetheart, no!” Regina seemed to spring back to life at the trembling voice of the girl… her daughter. The brunette tucked Liv’s hair behind her ear and smiled at her gently. “They want you very much; they just don’t know how you’ll react to finding out the truth. It’s a very… complicated… situation.” 

“Why? Who are they? Were they animals or something back in your land?” Despite the fact that inside she was freaking out completely, the teenager managed to grin at her question reminding Regina, yet again, of the blonde who was hovering nervously a little way off. “Am I really a horse or a mouse or something?”

“No…”

As though a light bulb went off in her mind, Liv frowned. “Hang on… Henry said that time was basically frozen for twenty-eight years before the curse broke. How… am I older than I thought? Or…”

Emma sighed deeply. “There was… you were sent back in time. You haven’t technically been born yet…”

Liv snorted with laughter. “You’re kidding?”

“I wish we were.” Regina murmured.

“So… was there a DeLorean or a TARDIS involved or something?”

Again Regina missed the _Back to the Future_ and _Doctor Who_ references, furrowing her eyebrows in bewilderment. Seeing her floundering, Emma ran a hand over her face and sighed. “No, kid, no DeLorean or TARDIS. It was something to do with Rumplestiltskin… because of a prophecy or something.”

“A prophecy? About… me?” Liv gazed blankly between them. “But… why? I’m not… I’m not… special or…”

“You are!” The brunette protested forcefully, her eyes blazing.

“Right…” Liv nodded slowly, apparently unconvinced. She bit into her apple, keeping her eyes on the floor. “Well… I don’t care, anyway. If they want to see me then they can come and find me. I’m perfectly happy with you guys, thanks. And whatever this… prophecy… is, it can just… kiss my ass.” She trailed off childishly.

The two women exchanged a look, knowing that this was their cue to tell her the truth. But neither seemed to be able to form the words they needed. Instead they just looked helplessly at each other as Liv gathered up the rubbish from their lunches, although she was the only one who’d even touched the food, and dumped it in Regina’s trash can. Then the teenager announced that she was going to pick Henry up and head over to help Mary Margaret with dinner. There was nothing the women could do to stop her practically running out of the office.

* * *

Knowing that neither of them would be able to concentrate on work that afternoon, they headed back to Regina’s house once more. At once the brunette knelt on the floor to look through the book Gold had given them, but Emma pulled her up to sit on the couch beside her.

“Why didn’t you tell her?” Emma asked softly after a couple of moments, trailing her hand through Regina’s hair, before running it down her arm and letting it settle on the brunette’s knee.

  
Regina turned to glare at her. “Why didn’t _I_ tell her? Why didn’t _you_ tell her?”

  
“Because I... You know I’m not good at that stuff, Gina.”

  
“And I am?” Regina pushed Emma away from her and stood up quickly, moving to the drinks cabinet and pouring herself a large glass of scotch. She didn’t bother to offer the blonde a drink, merely glaring at her as the amber liquid disappeared down her throat in two large gulps. “Strangely enough I have never had to explain something like this before and I didn’t... I don’t... I have absolutely no idea how to handle this.”

“I’m sorry…” Emma mumbled, tracing the brunette’s footsteps across the room and wrapping her arms around Regina’s waist. She rested her forehead against her girlfriend’s shoulder with a deep sigh. “You’re right… it’s just… this is so messed up.”

After a couple of moments, Regina relaxed into her embrace and exhaled deeply, squeezing her eyes closed. “I don’t… she’s happy not knowing. What if we tell her the truth and… it ruins everything?”

“We haven’t got a choice, babe. The prophecy–”

“She’s already made it quite clear she has no intention of paying any attention to the prophecy.”

Emma shook her head, leading Regina back towards the couch and curling into her side. “She’s scared. I know that kid and… she would step up in a second. But she’s scared of people relying on her in case she lets them down.” The blonde gave a self-depreciating snort. “It’s kinda something you learn to feel when you’re shipped around so much as a kid… you’re never good enough.”

There was another long stretch of silence with both women lost in their own thoughts. Regina was remembering her own childhood where nothing she did was ever good enough for her mother. Emma was recalling the feeling of being shipped out to yet another new home and not really having any idea why. Neither of them could find the words to explain, but in the end a look was enough. A look was enough to offer hope and reassurance and comfort and many promises that they would find a way through all this together.

The women clung to each other on the couch for a long time. Neither spoke as they curled into each other, their fingers entwined and Regina’s head laying on Emma’s chest. Slightly distractedly, the blonde ran her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair, smiling at the contented purr that Regina instinctively emitted at the action. Gently, she shifted so that she could tilt the brunette’s chin upwards and look into her eyes.

“We will have to tell her soon, you know.” She almost sighed. “The longer we don’t tell her, the more betrayed she’ll feel when she realises we knew all along.”

“I know.” Regina agreed quietly. “We’ll do it tonight when you bring her back from your mother’s family dinner. At least it’ll be a little easier to explain things to Liv before Henry finds out he’s got a younger sister who’s technically older than him.”

“What?”

Both women froze, their eyes widening impossibly. Emma briefly thought it would be comical if she wasn’t so panicked by the sound of her son’s voice from behind them. Slowly they scooted apart and turned to look in the direction Henry had spoken from. His mouth was hanging open and his gaze was darting between his mothers quickly, as though wondering whether they were joking.

“Henry, sweetheart, you–”

“Liv’s _actually_ my sister?” He demanded, moving into the room and sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch. Regina didn’t even register his action, let alone chastise him for it. “Like… seriously? Not just…”

“Kid… it’s complicated.” Emma tried to explain, unsure whether he was upset or not. “We… your Mom and me… don’t exactly understand it ourselves and there’s time travel involved and…”

His face cracked into a broad, excited grin. “I _knew_ it. I knew I was right about her! This is awesome!”

“What d’you mean?”

“There had to be a reason why she didn’t die in the crash. Liv was convinced that it was your magic, Mom. But what if it was her own magic?”

“She doesn’t–” Emma started.

Regina turned to her quickly. “Remember what Rumple said… she’s more powerful than any of us are aware. Maybe Henry’s right…”

“Of course I’m right.” He informed them, rolling his eyes. Both his mothers chuckled, the atmosphere in the room lightening at once. “But you haven’t told her yet?”

“We tried.” Emma said. “But it was…”

Henry shrugged. “You should just tell her.”

“It’s not that simple, sweetheart.” Regina tried to reason with the young boy. “We don’t want to scare her. I… I can’t lose anyone else.”

“You won’t.” Her son promised fiercely, moving to sit on the couch between the two women and wrapping his arms around his brunette mother. “She loves you both.”

“She said that?”

“No… not exactly.” Henry admitted with a shrug. “But I can tell, because I love you both too.”

Both his mothers wrapped him in a tight hug at that, kissing the top of his head, before pulling away. They exchanged a look and Regina nodded sharply, signalling that they would do it.

“What are you doing here anyway, kid?” Emma asked, fixing her son with a stern eye. “You’re supposed to be at the apartment.”

“Grandma sent me to invite Mom to dinner as well.” He explained, beaming at them both.

“Me?” Regina frowned. “Really?”

“Yeah… Liv persuaded her. She said it’s stupid that her and Grandpa are trying to act like you don’t exist when you’re family and if they don’t stop being idiots about it then they’re gonna lose me and Ma.”

The brunette was stunned. Her eyes roved over her son’s face as though she thought he was making it up. “Sh-she said that?”

“Uh-huh.” Henry nodded. “Then… then she said that if Grandma was serious about trying to be civil towards you she should invite you over for dinner because at least Ma and her and me could act as human shields if ‘shit went down’ and you both started up some ‘batshit wizardy duel’.”

Regina instinctively pursed her lips as her son swore, but couldn’t help a smile curling the corners of her mouth. On Henry’s other side, Emma burst out laughing. She could just imagine the expression on her mother’s face when Liv had told her that. She could also imagine the slightly exasperated expression that would have graced the teenager’s face.

“Well… It doesn’t seem as though I have a choice. Seeing as Snow has extended the invitation, however unwillingly, I suppose I should accept. Although if I were you I’d be on guard because if either she or Charming say anything remotely irritating I may initiate a ‘batshit wizardy duel’ just for the sake of it.” Regina joked dryly.

Emma burst out laughing again and Henry giggled delightedly at his mother’s words. Leaving them to their amusement, Regina went to change. She stared at her reflection broodingly in her mirror. Despite her feelings for the simpering pair of idiots, she knew she had to make an effort. Her life was so entwined with theirs now that she had no choice. Regina wouldn’t and couldn’t force Emma or Henry or Liv to choose between the Charmings and herself.

Somehow, they had to find a way to make this work.


	20. Chapter 20

Regina thought that it was perhaps the most uncomfortable dinner she’d ever attended. David was sitting at the head of the table, practically glaring at the brunette who was seated at the opposite end, smiling at him slightly smugly. To the Mayor’s left Liv was sitting, surreptitiously sneaking her vegetables onto Emma’s plate on her other side when she thought no one was watching. On Regina’s right, Henry was staring intently at the teenage girl who kept catching his eye and frowning at his scrutinising gaze. Mary Margaret was seated between her husband and her grandson, pointedly not addressing any of her questions at Regina.

As Mary Margaret served up an apple pie, she glared at Regina. “This isn’t poisoned, just so you’re all aware.”

Instantly Emma, Henry and Liv opened their mouths to say something, but the Mayor got there first. She eyed the raven-haired woman with a bored expression on her face. “Will we be requiring the human shields now, dear?” Hearing an amused snort from the teenager on her left, she turned her gaze on Liv. “Is it time for the ‘batshit crazy duel’?”

Liv burst out laughing, along with Emma and Henry. David looked totally bemused, while Mary Margaret’s cheeks flushed in irritation and embarrassment. Smirking triumphantly, Regina raised her wine glass, almost in a toast to the other woman, before taking a large sip. Inside she was fuming, but she knew that she had to control her anger and maintain the position of the bigger person in this situation.

The rest of the dinner passed quickly and Mary Margaret obviously couldn’t wait for it to be over so that she could get rid of Regina. She began gathering the plates and carrying them over to the sink, banging them down on the counter loudly. Liv slipped out of her seat and went to help, laying a hand on the woman’s arm as she joined her at the sink. She smiled weakly, trying to convey that she was grateful that Mary Margaret had at least tried. The older woman returned the look, nodding weakly.

“Well… this was… pleasant.” Regina announced as they congregated in the hallway outside the apartment. Emma was taking her and Liv home, as she’d driven them over in her Sheriff’s car earlier, while Henry had insisted that he needed to stay at the Mayor’s house that night because he’d left his homework there. “The pie was… unpoisoned.”

Liv snorted with laughter again, before hesitantly hugging Mary Margaret. The woman was taken aback for a moment, as the teenager had never instigated a hug before. She soon overcame her surprise and wrapped her arms tightly around the girl. “Thank you.” Liv whispered in her ear. Mary Margaret didn’t reply, but she gave her an even tighter squeeze in response to the words.

Awkwardly the teenager disentangled herself and led the way out of the building. She listened, amused, to the light-hearted bickering going on between the two women in the front of the car. Emma had started off by thanking Regina for controlling her temper, even with Mary Margaret doing her best to wind her up. Somehow that had descended into a mock-argument filled with jokey threats and insults.

“Liv… there’s something we need to talk to you about.” Emma called as they entered the house and the teenager immediately made for the stairs.

“Can it wait until tomorrow?” Surreptitiously glancing at the time on her cell phone, Liv paused with a hand on the bannister. “I’m not feeling too good… I’ve got a massive headache and I just wanna go to bed.”

“Of course.” Regina agreed quickly, hiding her disappointment in a weak smile. “I’ll bring you some aspirin in–”

“Oh, no, it’s alright. I’ll just sleep it off, thanks.” The girl declined quickly, before turning and hurrying upstairs.

Henry went into the living room with his mothers for a while. His fidgeting increased and, without warning, he announced that he had things to finish for school and disappeared upstairs. The boy paused outside Liv’s bedroom door, before knocking lightly and pushing it open. He froze at the sight that greeted him.

“What are you doing?” He demanded, catching the teenager halfway out of her window.

“I’m going out.”

“Who with?”

“The Lost Boys.” She admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. “If you say anything I will kick your ass.”

Frowning, Henry crossed the room and tried to tug her back inside. “You can’t! You said you were sick when my moms wanted to talk to you. It was really important.”

“Regina said it could wait until tomorrow.” Liv reasoned. Shrugging again, she swung her legs over the sill and slid onto the small section of roof just outside.

“Have you done this before?” Henry asked her, peering out and wondering just how she was intending to get down to the ground.

“A couple times.”

Looking hopefully at her, he tilted his head to the side. “Can I come?”

“No.” She replied bluntly, swinging herself out and grasping a nearby branch with one hand while her feet found purchase on the drainpipe. Henry watched as she shimmied down the pipe and dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding squashing his mother’s flowers. “And remember; don’t say anything.”

* * *

Not long after Henry went upstairs, Emma had decided that she should get back to her parents and see how they were dealing with the events of the evening. Pressing a kiss to her girlfriend’s lips, the blonde left and Regina thought she should take the teenager some aspirin anyway, despite her reluctance. Clutching the packet and a glass of water, the Mayor made her way up the stairs and knocked softly.

When there was no answer, she opened the door and made her way into the dimly lit room. The curtains were moving in the light breeze and Regina realised that Liv must have left the window open. Eyeing the lump in the bed cautiously, she moved to shut the window, thinking it would get too cold, especially if Liv was already ill.

It was only when she leant across to close the catches that she realised that the room was too quiet and the lump under the covers was far too still. Panicking, her mind immediately jumping to the darkest possibilities, the woman ripped the blankets back to check the girl wasn’t dead. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of a pile of clothes where Liv should have been.

“Where’s Liv?” Regina demanded, opening her son’s bedroom door when a quick search of the house hadn’t proved any help in helping her find the teenager. When Henry just shrugged and refused to meet her eyes, apparently more interested in his homework for once, the woman frowned. “Henry Daniel Mills, where is she?”

“She’s gone out.” He mumbled.

“With who?”

“The Lost Boys.” Her son admitted slightly reluctantly. There was, if Regina was not very much mistaken, a hint of vengeance in Henry’s eyes as he told her and the brunette guessed at once that he had not been allowed to go with them.

“The… well, I’m not at all surprised that Miss Rei…” Her words caught in her throat and she coughed, covering up her hesitation.

Regina couldn’t stomach the thought of referring to Liv as Miss _Reilly_ , although she didn’t know what else to call her. Miss _Mills_? Miss _Swan_? Miss _Swan-Mills_? Miss _Mills-Swan_? Under normal circumstances they would have had at least nine months to figure out the details but, the woman thought bitterly, Regina Mills and normal circumstances almost never went hand-in-hand. For a moment she was distracted by her thoughts, frowning at the floor.

“Mom? Are you OK?”

She briefly smiled and nodded, gathering her thoughts once more. “As I was saying, I’m not at all surprised that Liv would voluntarily choose to spend her time gallivanting with delinquents like them.”

“They’re not delinquents.” Henry grouched, pouting and evidently bitter about being left behind.

“Really? Where are they?”

“I don’t know…”

“Henry.”

He sighed. “They’re probably at the high school parking lot.”

Regina looked as though she was about to have a heart attack as all the possible reasons why the teenagers would be there raced through her mind. “Why are they there?” She managed to ground out.

“They take their motorcycles…”

Now the Mayor appeared to be on the brink of passing out. A memory of the teenager lying comatose in her hospital bed swam in front of her eyes. “Motorcycles…”

“Yeah, but Mom, it’s fine. Liv said she’ll be back by eleven.”

“No.” Regina shook her head, folding her arms firmly. “That’s unacceptable.”

“Mom, she’s seventeen. She’s doesn’t even know she’s your daughter, you can’t just–” He stopped talking abruptly at the strange choking noise his mother emitted, looking at her in total confusion. “Mom?”

“She… I… while she’s under _my_ roof she has to follow _my_ rules.” His mother replied after a couple of moments. “Call Emma and tell her… oh… get your coat.”

“What?”

“Get your coat.”

He didn’t need telling twice. In minutes the pair were in Regina’s Mercedes and Henry was on the phone explaining what had happened to his blonde mother. By the time the car screeched to a halt in the parking lot, causing the group of teenagers to turn at once, Emma had assured her son that she was on her way. Henry had to decide whether to run to keep up with Regina as she strode furiously across the concrete towards the figures on the other side of the parking lot or wait beside the car for Emma. In the end he chose the latter option, leaving his mother to deal with Liv on her own.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Regina ground out, her furious eyes meeting Liv’s as she came to a halt in front of the assembled teenagers and motorcycles.

“Nothing!” Liv exclaimed, holding her hands up as though protesting her innocence. The smirk on her face gave her away completely.

Ignoring the laughter of the teenager’s companions, Regina reached forwards and grasped Liv’s arm, dragging her away from the motorcycle she was leaning against. “Is that so?”

“Hey!” Beginning to struggle at once, the teenager fought against the woman who was trying to drag her in the direction of the Mercedes.

“Leave off her!” One of the Lost Boys tried to defend the girl. Regina shot him a cursory glare, effectively shutting him up.

“What are you doing?” Liv slurred as she was marched across the parking lot. “Get off!”

Regina paused, taking in the girl’s eyes that were refusing to focus. She crinkled her nose at the strong scent of smoke that seemed to surround her like a cloud. “Have you been smoking? And… drinking?”

“Not… not much.” Regina growled angrily at her reply, her grip on the teenager tightening. Having enough of being manhandled, Liv tried to pull away from the woman. “God! Why are you even bothered? It’s not like I’m your precious Henry! And… and I wouldn’t even let him come because I knew you’d go batshit!”

“Very considerate of you, dear.” The older woman snapped sarcastically. “Now get in the car!”

“No!”

When Liv redoubled her efforts to escape from Regina’s grasp, the woman wrapped her arms around the girl’s waist and, with surprising strength that shocked the teenager into forgetting to struggle for a moment, she practically carried Liv towards the car. Letting out a shriek of frustration, along with a stream of swear words, she redoubled her efforts to break free.

Grunting as an elbow connected with her stomach, the brunette was grateful that Liv was drunk and her actions were far from coordinated. Regina did, however, loosen her grip briefly in surprise and the teenager took advantage of the opportunity, wrenching herself away. She only succeeded on falling on her ass, growling in irritation.

“This is ridiculous.” Regina snapped, reaching down and dragging Liv to her feet. Before the teenager could protest, the brunette tugged her arms behind her back and secured them there, wrapping a hand around her wrists tightly and pushing her towards the car. “Walk, Olivia.”

At once the struggling stopped. The teenager’s whole body seemed to get heavier and a harsh sob greeted the Mayor’s ears. She frowned, faltering in her steps as the first sob was followed by another and then a gasping breath. All the fight seemed to have left Liv as she almost slumped against Regina, trembling violently.

Regina let go completely when Liv whimpered softly and whispered, “please don’t…”

Her eyes snapped up at the sound of footsteps pounding towards them and Emma and Henry reached them. The blonde looked between the two in confusion, before reaching out to the teenager, who flinched away. Liv was still shaking and her eyes were devoid of all emotion, staring sightlessly past them in the direction of the cars.

“What did you do?” Henry demanded accusingly, staring between them. When Regina just blinked back, completely at a loss for what to say, he turned to Emma, as though she could shed some light on things.

The blonde frowned lightly. “Regina… did… did you…”

“I didn’t do anything!” The Mayor defended herself. “I merely restrained her so that I could–”

“Restrained her? How?”

“I…” The woman faltered, not understanding what was going on. “I was holding her arms behind her back and I know she doesn’t really like being called Olivia, but–”

“Oh…” Emma’s face crumpled slightly and she turned her attention fully onto the teenager. Bending, she placed her hands gently on either side of Liv’s face and forced her to meet her eyes. “Kid… Liv. Look at me. Come on; look at me. You’re OK, you’re alright. Regina didn’t know… she wouldn’t have hurt you… she didn’t _know_.” The blonde was almost coaxing the teenager to drag herself out of her thoughts. Beside her, Regina and Henry watched in total confusion. Slowly her gentle reassurances seemed to be doing their job and Liv nodded weakly. “It’s alright. Regina didn’t know.”

Regina was bewildered about just what it was she didn’t know and she could tell that Henry was on the brink of asking. Sensing that perhaps it was a conversation to be saved for later, the brunette rested a hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

“Is she OK?” The boy asked when his blonde mother straightened up and smiled weakly at them.

Emma nodded. “Yeah, she will be. Henry, look after her for a sec… I want a quick word with your mom and then we’ll go home.”

Waiting until the pair were safely in the back of the Mercedes with the doors shut, Regina let out a long breath. “Is she really alright?”

“Yeah… are you OK?”

“Me?” The brunette looked surprised by the question. “I… what did I do? I never meant to… I just wanted to get her out of here.”

“It’s complicated… I’ll explain later.” Emma promised, reaching out and squeezing Regina’s hand. She really wanted to pull her into her arms and kiss her, but she could see the Lost Boys still watching them and decided that Regina wouldn’t appreciate them witnessing such a moment. “I’ll follow you.”

Nodding, the Mayor climbed into her car and started the engine. They drove quickly towards home, the Sheriff’s car trailing hers the whole way. Regina kept shooting Liv almost fearful glances in the rear view mirror, but Henry was chattering away trying to make up for the silence from the women.

“I didn’t _want_ to tell Mom where you were, she made me…” He mumbled, blushing as the lie passed his lips. Catching his eye in the mirror, Regina raised an eyebrow. “OK… she didn’t exactly make me… but she was worried so…”

“Why?”

Henry frowned as the word tumbled from the girl’s lips. “What?”

“Why was she worried?”

“Because you snuck out of the house to spend time with those delinquents. Clearly I was right to be concerned, seeing the state of you.” Regina replied, her tone harder than she intended. “Anything could have happened!”

“So? You might be my boss, but I’m not… you can’t… you’re not my mom!”

“Yeah, she is.” Henry blurted before he could stop himself. At once he clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes widening as he realised what he’d said.

Regina froze, her hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles went white. She couldn’t bring herself to look in the mirror, concentrating on where she was going. Liv’s eyes were boring into the back of her head and the woman tried not to squirm uncomfortably in her seat. She parked on the drive and hesitated as Emma stopped the Sheriff’s car behind hers.

“Is it true?” The teenager demanded in a low, cold tone. All hints of slurring had vanished from her voice and evidently the boy’s words had caused her to sober up immediately. Beside her, Henry sank lower in his seat, wary of the girl who sounded so much like his brunette mother when she was spectacularly pissed off. “Is. It. True?”

“Yes.” There was no point denying it now and telling her the truth later. “This wasn’t how you were supposed to find out. That’s what we wanted to tell you earlier.”

“Earlier?”

“Can we talk about this inside?” Regina asked quietly, needing Emma beside her. “Please?”

There was no answer as the teenager got out of the car and slammed the door behind her. She strode up the path and waited beside the front door, her arms folded over her chest and her eyes narrowed. Keeping her gaze trained on the brunette who hurriedly followed her, shooting a glance at Emma and mouthing ‘she knows’, Liv waited for Regina to unlock the door before walking straight into the living room. The others had no choice but to follow.

“Right, we’re inside. Why didn’t you tell me? You… you told me that my parents knew who I was and that I was here… why didn’t you…?”

“I was scared.” Regina admitted in a tiny voice.

“Scared?” The teenager frowned, shaking her head slightly. Then realisation appeared in her eyes and her arms, which had been folded over her chest, dropped to her sides heavily. “Oh… disappointed.”

Both women’s heads whipped towards her. “What?”

“You found out that the kid you sent away for… whatever reason… was me. You probably imagined some smart, pretty… magical… perfect daughter waltzing back into your life, someone who’d be worthy to be shown off as the daughter of the Queen. Or maybe you imagined that I’d never find you?” She paused, gaging Regina’s reaction to her words. The woman’s shoulders had slumped slightly and, if the teenager hadn’t been so wrapped up in her own feelings, she would have noticed that the brunette didn’t seem to know how to look at her. “Instead you got annoying, obnoxious, messed up me turning up out of nowhere and changing things and messing up your life. So, best case scenario, you’re disappointed; worst case scenario, you’re pretty pissed off. I get it, Regina, I really do.”

“No… Liv, it’s really not that. I was… am… scared.”

“What does that mean?” Liv almost shouted.

She was on the verge of tears, not understanding what was going on. She couldn’t get her head around what was happening. Part of her thought that this was all one big joke, like the time when her foster brothers had told her the cake in the fridge was for her and she’d spent most of her tenth birthday locked in the cellar. But the betrayal this time felt so much worse.

“I… we didn’t know…”

“Well, no. I can see that. Why would you know who I was?”

“No… we _really_ didn’t know.” Emma told her, squeezing Regina’s hand. “You… like we said earlier; you haven’t been born yet.”

“So…” Liv’s mind whirled, trying to piece together the information. “If Regina _is_ my mother… who’s my father? Or who _will be_ my father?”

“You don’t have one.” The blonde mumbled.

“Sorry?”

“You don’t have a father.” Regina repeated with a reassuring smile that just confused the teenager even more.

“Right… so how is that… oh. Was this a turkey baster thing? Because–”

“No!” The brunette looked horrified at the thought. “God, no!”

“It’s… OK...” Emma took a breath and leant forwards on the couch towards Liv who had sunk down to perch on the coffee table. She took one of the teenager’s hands and squeezed it while she arranged her thoughts. “So apparently when true love mixes with magic you can make a baby… even if you’re both women.”

Liv snorted with laughter. “It’s fine; I can handle the turkey baster thing. You don’t have to make shit up to make me feel better.”

“What’s a turkey baster got to do with–” Henry started, before both his mothers cut him off.

“Nothing, sweetheart.” Regina assured him. “There was no turkey baster. Or won’t be…” She looked a little confused at the tenses. “It’s true, Liv. Emma and I are your Moms.”

Silence descended at once. It was like the temperature had dropped several degrees as all four of them shivered slightly as the information sank in.


	21. Chapter 21

For a couple of moments there was silence and then Regina and Emma had both started trying to explain things in an attempt to keep conversation going. After a while, Liv had excused herself to go to bed. The women didn’t stop her, although they were both privately concerned that the girl would attempt to escape from the house again. When they peered around her door on their own way to bed they saw that she was curled up in a tight ball, a frown on her face and the hood of her sweater pulled firmly up over her head.

The next morning things were strained. The family atmosphere that filled the kitchen as Regina cooked breakfast for her girlfriend and their son filled Liv with unease as she slipped onto her stool. The girl politely declined the pancakes that the brunette offered her, sipping slowly from a cup of coffee instead.

“What are you planning on doing today, kid?” Emma asked, trying to prompt her into conversation.

Liv shrugged. “I dunno…”

“You can come and hang out at the Sheriff Station with me if you don’t fancy being cooped up in Madam Mayor’s office again.”

“No… thanks.” The teenager muttered with a small shrug. “I think… I think I just want to be on my own. If that’s OK?”

“Of course.” Regina nodded at once, shooting Emma a look. “We understand this is a lot to get your head around. It’s a lot for us too… before yesterday…”

“I get it.”

“And don’t go thinking we’re disappointed or anything, kid.” Emma ordered firmly. “If we’re gonna have a seventeen-year-old daughter then we’re glad it’s you.”

“We just need to figure out what this prophecy is about…” Regina murmured, furrowing her brow as she thought about the implications. “I think I should have another word with Rumplestiltskin.”

Emma looked up quickly. “You’re not going on your own.”

“Oh, please, Miss Swan. I think I’m perfectly able to handle that twisted little imp alone.”

“No… I wanna go with you.” Liv said suddenly. “This is… it’s sorta my thing. Like… the curse was yours and breaking it was Emma’s. This… prophecy thing… this is mine.”

There was a long pause as the two women and Henry studied Liv carefully, while she did a very good impression of finding the surface of the breakfast bar fascinating. Finally, obviously fighting her better judgement, Regina nodded.

“Alright.”

“What?” Emma demanded.

“Liv’s right… she needs to know what she could be facing if we can’t find a way around this.” The brunette said in a matter of fact tone. “I’ve got meetings all morning, but we’ll go and see him after lunch.”

Sliding off her stool, Liv nodded. “OK… I’ll walk Henry to the bus and… see you later, I guess.”

* * *

When the front door closed and Henry’s chatter could no longer be heard, Regina let out a deep sigh and leant heavily against the counters, her palms flat on the surface. A second later she felt arms wrap around her and turned in Emma’s embrace, burying her face in the blonde’s shoulder with another sigh. Emma closed her eyes, running her hands through the brunette’s silky hair over and over again.

“Well… she seems to be taking it better than expected.” She murmured after a while.

“I don’t think she’s taking it seriously.” Regina admitted. “I think she thinks we’re joking.”

“Give it time, babe. When I found out about my parents I didn’t want to face up to the truth for ages. I couldn’t handle it.” Emma reminded her. “But I got there. And it’ll be easier for Liv. I spent my entire life building up my parents in my head; I imagined who they might be and what they’d be like and thought about a thousand scenarios that led to me being abandoned. But Liv _never_ did that. She never wanted to know.”

Regina pouted petulantly. “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yes, because we’re not having to compete with some fictional Mom and Dad. Once she gets her head around the whole two biological mothers thing and the fact that it’s us… she’ll be fine.”

“And will we?”

Emma pulled away slightly to blink at her. “What d’you mean?”

“Yesterday we found out that apparently we share true love and we’re going to have baby who we’re going to send back in time and put into the foster system. And we found out that that baby is now a seventeen-year-old with attitude problems and there’s some undefined prophecy about her that Rumplestiltskin seems to know all about!”

Emma pulled Regina close again when she came to the end of her rant, soothing the brunette as best she could. “Well… no one can accuse us of being boring, babe. And what I said yesterday… I meant it. I _do_ love you.”

“I love you.” Regina echoed, leaning forward to capture Emma’s lips with her own. It was a desperate kiss that slowed gradually until it became a series of tender pecks.

“I know.” Emma whispered into the brunette’s hair.

“Last night…” Biting her lip, Regina looked away, refusing to meet her girlfriend’s eyes. “What did I do that was so bad? One minute she was screaming and swearing and fighting me and the next…”

With a deep sigh, Emma pushed away from the counter and walked across the room to lean against the breakfast bar. “The home Liv was in when I saw her last… the bastard that ran it used to punish her by tying her arms behind her and attaching the rope to a pipe. She had to stay there for hours with kicks and punches for good measure. That was on a good day. On a bad day…” She broke off, inhaling sharply and clenching her fists. “Liv told me that she knew when she was in trouble because he’d call her Olivia.”

“And you _left_ her there?” Regina demanded, her eyes flashing.

“Why d’you think they sent her somewhere else?” Emma retorted defensively. “I kicked up such a fuss… I refused to leave until they did something. Then I tracked down the guy and kicked his ass.”

The brunette relaxed slightly. “You know so much about her and I know so little.”

“It’s not always a good thing. I know the bad bits, too.” Her girlfriend sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s the same with my Mom… I really don’t need to know as much about her one-night-stand with Whale as I do…”

Regina laughed at that. The sound made Emma’s face split into a grin and she crossed the kitchen once more, raising her hands to stroke the woman’s cheeks gently. “It’s gonna be weird and hard and… I don’t know how we’ll get through this, but we will, Gina. We’ll figure out what this whole prophecy thing is about and we’ll make sure it’s fine. We’re going to be fine.”

* * *

Regina couldn’t concentrate during her meetings. For once in her life she was completely out of her depth. If anyone had told her a year ago that she would be relying on Emma Swan to stop her losing her mind she would have laughed in their face. Or done something particularly horrible to them. Or both.

But now she _was_ relying on Emma. Regina was sure that the blonde found it just as strange as she did that Emma was suddenly the calm one, the one who was in control and the voice of reason.

She was scared; there was no other way to describe it. Regina had messed up with Henry and she was scared that now she’d let herself feel something for someone else she would mess up again and she would lose everything. There was so much at stake and so much pressure. It would be so much easier to bury her head in the sand; to convince herself that she felt nothing for Emma, for Henry and for Liv. She could push them away for their own sakes, to protect them from her. She was the master at distancing herself from those around her.

This time, however, Regina was under no illusions that doing such a thing would shatter her already damaged heart beyond repair and it would kill her.

But maybe that was the price she had to pay.

Her head snapped up as the office door opened and footsteps crossed the floor towards where she was seated. An instinctive smile appeared on her face as Liv, her daughter, came to a halt on the other side of the desk. The girl leant against the surface, her palms flat as she studied the Mayor carefully. Regina stayed silent, not wanting to spook or upset the teenager until she found whatever it was she was looking for.

While Liv just stared at her, Regina took a moment to return the scrutiny; noting with surprise similarities and differences to herself and Emma that should have given the truth away at once. Her eyes were drawn to the teenager’s own. There was something wild and magical and so familiar about them. Liv’s eyes alone should have told the Mayor that there was something about her that couldn’t – shouldn’t – be ignored. When she’d first met her, that evening in the diner, Regina had merely thought that the grey eyes were just that – grey and ordinary – but with a hint of cheekiness and challenge that she found irritating and intriguing at the same time. It was the same as she had felt about Emma’s eyes to begin with; as though they could see far more than whatever expression she was attempting to throw at the woman. Now, though, Regina could see the flecks of green and deep brown and, if she wasn’t very much mistaking, a spark of pale pink swirling around the very edges of her irises.

“I have your eyes.” Liv said at last, before turning and moving to drop onto the couch.

Regina went to sit with her at once. “The shape, perhaps, but the colour is unique to you, dear.”

Shrugging, the teenager studied her hands in her lap. “I was trying to find similarities so that it would feel… more real. I don’t understand it.”

“You have the same shape face as Emma and Sn- Mary Margaret’s chin.” Regina said slowly, her eyes seeing similarities. “You have my nose and eyes.”

Liv nodded slowly. “Do I have…?”

“What?”

“Magic.” The teenager blurted, almost as though she thought Regina was going to scold her for daring to ask. “It’s just… I mean if this prophecy thing… maybe it would help?”

Regina thought for a moment, her gaze drifting back to Liv’s eyes and focusing on the soft pink glow that had diminished slightly in the last few moments. She nodded carefully. “I think… perhaps you do.”

“So how does it work? Do I need to learn spells and stuff?” They both thought back to their conversation about Harry Potter only a day earlier. It seemed a lifetime ago now. “Is there like… a manual or something?”

Laughing softly, the Mayor shook her head. “No, dear; you have to learn, but there is no manual to teach you.”

“So can _you_?”

Regina looked at her thoughtfully, remembering the circumstances behind learning to control her own magic, before holding out her hand, palm upwards and motioning for Liv to do the same. The teenager frowned lightly, but copied the action, waiting for instruction. “You have to concentrate; really concentrate. Focus all of your energy on picturing whatever it is that you’re trying to conjure in your hand.”

With a swirl of deep purple smoke, something began to take shape on Regina’s upturned palm. Liv gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing a shiny red apple. Tentatively she reached out to take it, spurred on by the brunette’s encouraging smile. It was definitely real, its weight almost comforting as Liv passed it between her hands.

“Your turn.” Regina said, taking the apple from the teenager and raising it to her lips, taking a bite and smiling in amusement.

The girl focused all of her energy on trying to conjure something into her hand. Her eyes screwed tightly closed and a frown twisted her features as she concentrated. Regina almost dropped the apple in surprise as a swirling pink mist appeared around Liv’s hand. She had not been expecting anything to happen on the first few attempts. Even longer, probably.

“Oh…” Liv opened one eye and frowned in irritation. Regina was slightly taken aback at the disappointment in her tone. The first time she’d successfully attempted this trick she’d been ridiculously happy, despite the fact that she managed to conjure a squirrel instead of a cup.

“What?”

“I was trying to conjure an apple too… I hate oranges.”

“This is…” Regina shook her head, taking the orange and examining it open-mouthed. Putting the fruit on the table in front of the couch, she rounded on the teenager with determination. “Do it again.”

“It was wrong.”

“Try again.” The Mayor encouraged.

With a sigh, Liv did as she was told. Within ten minutes there were half a dozen oranges lined up along the coffee table and the teenager was growing frustrated with her inability to conjure up an apple. She was all for giving up, but Regina refused to let her. Emphasising the need to practice, the brunette watched carefully as the girl gave into her request to attempt it just once more.

“What is it?” Liv asked, her eyes still closed as the mist cleared away from the fruit in her hand.

“Open your eyes and see for yourself.” Regina ordered gently, a broad grin on her face.

Slowly Liv did and screamed in surprise. Her eyes flicked from the shiny red apple nestled in her palm to the proud, beaming smile of the brunette sitting beside her. “I did it!”

“You did!” Unable to stop herself, Regina hugged the girl tightly, relishing the feel of her in her arms. It felt natural and right and as though she’d been doing it her whole life.

Clearing her throat softly, Liv extricated herself after a couple of moments and stood up, tugging on the bottom of her shirt anxiously. “Maybe we should go and see Mr Gold…”

Regina froze for a split second, wondering whether she’d just ruined things by pushing the girl too far. But Liv sent her a weak smile, leaning against the doorframe and waiting for the Mayor to gather her coat and join her and the woman relaxed. As she watched Liv examining her hand, as though she couldn’t believe that she had really done magic, Regina realised that she couldn’t hide from this. She would work through the pain and fear and she would do whatever it took to make the situation work. The way it was supposed to be.

“So… I was thinking…” Liv muttered, keeping her gaze on the ground as they headed through Storybrooke towards Gold’s shop. “Could we… could we keep all this a secret. Just for a while. Just until I can…”

“Of course, dear.” Regina promised. “Whatever makes it easier for you.”

“It’s just that… Mary Margaret and David are great and all,” she ignored the eye-roll and disbelieving snort from the brunette beside her, “but they’re so overenthusiastic about everything and I don’t think I can cope with them knowing at the moment. And then if _they_ know everyone else is gonna know and…”

“I understand.”

“Thank you.”

Smiling warmly at her, Regina pushed open the door of the pawnshop, her smile disappearing at once. Liv followed as the brunette stalked towards the counter and glared at the man who was standing behind it, polishing something with intricate care.

“Ahh… Your Highness…” He almost sneered. “And Miss…”

“Reilly.” Liv replied at once. She only just caught the small flinch beside her, but didn’t dwell on it. “I want to know about this prophecy thing. What is it? What do I need to do?”

“The prophecy?”

“Don’t play the innocent with me, Rumplestiltskin.” Regina snarled. “You know exactly what she means and you are going to explain _exactly_ what’s happening.”

The man sighed theatrically and then inclined his head slightly as though showing his reluctant agreement. “The first thing you need to know about magic, Miss Reilly, is that magic comes with a price.” He looked at her curiously. “It’s of the upmost importance that you must learn to control your magic. If you’d like I can teach you–”

“No!” The older woman shook her head vehemently, clutching at Liv’s arm. She would rather die than see Rumplestiltskin corrupt her daughter as he had done her. “ _I_ will teach her.”

“If you insist, dearie.” He agreed with a shrug and a small smirk. Regina just glared at him until he directed his gaze back to the teenager. “But in this case… the amount of magic needed to create life incurs a heavy price. As with saving the life of a person who is destined to die, the price is–”

“The death of someone else…” Regina almost whispered, her eyes widening dramatically. The circumstances surrounding her mother’s death rushed into her mind and she bit down on her lip, willing away the tears that were prickling behind her eyes.

Gold nodded seriously. “A life for a life.”

There was a long pause as the words sank in. Then Liv bit her lip, looking between the two adults warily. “So… I have to kill someone?”

“No…” Grasping her arm, Regina made a movement as if to pull the teenager behind her protectively. “She… I won’t let her… I’ll do it.”

“Very commendable.” Gold replied, mockingly. “But it is not as simple as that. It is not you, or indeed Miss Reilly, who is required to… even the balance. Have you heard of a creature called Erebus?”

Liv shook her head, but Regina hesitated, wracking her memory. “He’s a primordial deity from Greek mythology, is he not? Erebus was the personification of darkness?”

The man nodded, flicking through a book he produced from beneath his counter and showing the two females a picture. They both recoiled slightly away from the image; a cruel-looking human with wings like a bat and long, razor-sharp talons. “In reality, Erebus is a guardian of The Netherworld. When the magic involved in creating life is enacted, he is summoned to even the balance. He will not rest until the price is paid and he has fed on his victim’s heart.”

“Sounds like a very specific job description.” Liv muttered, rolling her eyes.

“Sounds like you should be taking this seriously.” Regina hissed at her, fear manifesting as anger.

“So how can we stop him?” The teenager demanded, her heart hammering painfully in her chest as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

“ _You_ can’t.” Gold said, reaching beneath the counter once more and placing a small glass flask on the surface between them. Inside was a small amount of dark blue liquid, shimmering strangely. The space above the liquid was filled with swirling blue-grey mist. “This potion will open a portal back to The Netherworld and the creature will be sucked back to where it came from.”

“What’s the catch?” Regina demanded, laying a hand on Liv’s arm as the girl reached out for the potion.

“The potion must be poured on the ground directly below the creature by the soul created by the magic.”

“But… that’s suicide!” The woman gasped, horrified at the thought. “Getting close enough to Erebus to open the portal will mean that Liv has to be close enough for him to rip her heart out!”

“You’d know all about ripping hearts out, wouldn’t you, your Majesty?” Gold taunted.

It was Liv’s turn to grab Regina’s arm, stopping her launching herself furiously at the man. “Regina… you can do freezing spells or something, right?”

“I can cast an immobilising spell, yes.”

“Well then, you do that and I’ll hit the thing with the portal potion. It’ll be fine.” The teenager told her determinedly. She turned back to eye Gold warily. “And we can have the potion?”

“You can.” He agreed.

Regina narrowed her eyes. “What d’you want in return?”

“As it is in my best interests to both keep you and Ms Swan on side, not to mention keeping Miss Reilly and her powers alive and well, I will not require payment for this particular potion.” He replied with a nonchalant shrug. “I do however insist that, should the need arise, Liv will owe me one favour.”

“Deal.” The teenager agreed at once, ignoring the dismayed expression on her mother’s face.

She accepted the flask from the man, watching him intently. Fighting the strange feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling them, she nodded curtly and turned on her heels to leave the shop with Regina, both of them silent and thoughtful.

“You shouldn’t have agreed to owe him a favour.” Regina told her firmly as soon as they were out in the street. “That was stupid and reckless and–”

“Stop.” Liv ordered in a harsh tone.

Frowning, the woman laid a hand on her daughter’s arm, retracting it when the girl flinched visibly. Slowly Liv turned to face her and Regina wasn’t sure which emotion was more prominent on her face: fear or hostility.

  
“Look, Regina, I... I get that this must be really hard for you and Emma,” she started, not meeting the woman’s eyes, “because going from pretty much being forced into dating by a couple of kids to discovering that you had a baby together made from true love and magic is pretty messed up as far as I can see. And… and I’m trying to understand but… I can’t see myself calling you Mom or having group hugs or bonding moments anytime soon. I’m sorry… I really am. I just… I can’t.”

  
“I understand.” Regina nodded sadly, her eyes downcast. She hadn’t really expected anything more. “I wish we had some other option rather than letting Rumplestiltskin take you, but–”

“Oh…” Liv shook her head hastily, finally meeting the brunette’s eyes. “It’s not that. I _get_ that. You don’t have a choice. I have to be here to get rid of Erebus or whatever he’s called. It’s just the whole actually having someone who cares about me thing I’m struggling with at the moment.”

Briefly considering reaching out to her again, Regina decided against it. She smiled weakly instead. “All we can ask is that you try. I just… I wanted a child of my own so much and… I couldn’t have one before. I love Henry, so much. But… you’re properly mine and no one can dispute that and…”

  
“Please don’t.” Liv requested softly as her mother’s voice cracked with emotion. “Just give me time.”

  
Regina nodded again, choking down the words that were prominent in both their minds, hanging between them like a cloud. Time was something that they may not have.

With a shrug, the Mayor pulled up the walls around her and started walking along the street in the direction of the Town Hall. Liv sent one last glance over her shoulder at the shop, before following quickly, her hands pushed deep into her pockets and her head bowed.


	22. Chapter 22

“Rumplestiltskin gave us this.” Regina held out the potion Gold had given them to Emma that evening as the three females sat in her study with the story pages, the Mayor’s spell book and various other books that might be of use spread out over her desk. They had explained the conversation they’d had with the man once Emma had arrived at the house after dinner with Henry and her parents under the pretence of having promised to watch a movie with the teenager. “And I’m going to teach Liv the immobilising spell just in case.”

“Will she be able to handle that?” Emma asked warily.

“Thanks.” The teenager muttered.

“No, I just mean… I haven’t managed to get control of my magic yet and you’ve only just discovered yours.”

Regina smirked and winked at the teenager. “Show her.”

Closing her eyes tightly, Liv held out her hand and concentrated on producing an apple as she had earlier. Opening one eye as something formed in her palm, she half expected yet another orange. It seemed, however, that she was getting the hang of the trick because Emma was staring in surprise at the apple she had created. Tossing it to her with a grin, the girl smiled at Regina as she reached out and squeezed her hand proudly.

“She’s more than capable. I hate to say it, but Rumple was right; I have no idea what Liv’s magic can do and just how powerful it is.” The brunette admitted. “She mastered the apple conjuring trick in seven attempts. It took me two days.”

“But… how long have you got to teach her the new spell?” Emma asked warily.

“I don’t know.”

“I’ve gotta try though, right?” Liv pressed, looking between the women.

“Right.” Regina agreed, standing up and making for the door. She glanced over her shoulder and smirked. “We can practice on Emma.”

The panic on the blonde’s face caused the other two to burst out laughing. Rolling her eyes, Emma muttered that they were horrible and stamped into the living room, shutting the door with a bang behind her.

Leading Liv outside – in case there were any accidents with the magic – Regina set about teaching her daughter how to immobilise living creatures with a flick of her hand. There was no denying that this spell was far more difficult than conjuring fruit. After an hour the teenager was getting increasingly annoyed, after two she was getting frustrated and angry and after three she was ready to push the older woman under a bus. Regina refused to let her stop practicing, adamant that Liv needed to be able to perform the spell in case something went wrong.

Almost five hours, six small fires, an exploding garden gnome and several arguments later, Regina agreed to let Liv stop. Demanding just one more attempt, the brunette stood back and watched as the teenager held out her hand in the direction of a bird sitting in one of the tree branches. Liv frowned, her concentration etched onto her face as she bit her lip.

“Liv! Look!” Regina called, rushing forward and standing beside her. She gripped her arm excitedly. “Look!”

Doing as she was told the girl opened her eyes and grinned broadly seeing the bird wrapped in what appeared to be thin, shimmering, blue ropes. It was unable to move a muscle. As her eyes fell on it and she realised she’d been successful, however, the teenager’s concentration failed and the blue vanished. The bird let out a loud noise, remarkably like a scream, and took off into the darkening sky.

“I actually did it?”

“You’re amazing!” Regina told her, her voice full of wonder and no hint of sarcasm in her tone.

Liv smiled at her, hesitated and then stepped forward, hugging the woman tightly. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Believing I could do this… helping me… everything.”

Regina cupped the girl’s face gently, smiling at her. Before she could reply, however, the kitchen door opened and Emma appeared.

“You guys done yet?”

“She did it, Em!” Regina laughed happily. “She actually did it!”

“No way?” The blonde blinked several times, looking between them. Then she bounded across the grass and hugged Liv tightly. “That’s awesome!”

Feeling slightly calmer about things for the first time since she’d found out the truth about herself, Liv allowed herself to relax into the embrace and Regina joined them. The three stood like that for several minutes, before the teenager pulled away, trying to stifle a yawn. Raising an eyebrow, Regina ordered her to bed, but not before informing her that they’d resume practicing in the morning.

* * *

An hour later, Liv was making her way down the drainpipe outside her window, a stab of guilt twisting in her stomach as she dropped the last couple of feet and landed softly on the lawn beneath her bedroom. She quickly tried to ignore the feeling, reminding herself that she was sneaking out for Regina and Emma’s own good. She had to know what it was that Rumplestiltskin had been holding back during their conversation earlier.

  
Skirting round the side of the house, Liv paused and frowned in the direction of the living room window. The stab of guilt was back and stronger than it had been before; it was a new sensation that had only bothered her since she’d discovered who the two women really were. Forcing herself to put that to the back of her mind the teenager crept away from the house, sticking to the shadows. Once she was round the corner, she relaxed slightly, although not much.

  
The look Gold had sent her just before they had left the shop that afternoon convinced her that there was something more to the situation than he was letting on. If she had told Regina or Emma that she was sceptical about his motives, they would have marched round and demanded that the man give them answers. Liv knew that he would be unlikely to do that; Regina was still suspicious about the way he had handed over the potion and information so easily because it was totally out of character. She was also still annoyed that Liv had promised him a favour in return. But the teenager was sure a more softly-softly approach would yield better results.

  
It was only as she neared the shop that she realised the time. Surely even Gold had better things to do than hang around his shop at quarter to twelve at night. No doubt Belle would have objected to that. Liv liked kind, softly spoken Belle and couldn’t quite understand why she put up with Gold. Then again, the teenager reasoned, she was well aware that love seemed determined to work in mysterious ways. Her whole existence was testament to that.

  
It appeared that she was in luck. The light was on in Gold’s shop and, when she tested the door, it swung open easily. A slightly heated conversation stopped abruptly as she entered and both Gold and Belle turned to face her; the former with an amused curiosity on his face, while the woman looked concerned.

  
“Are you OK, Liv?” Belle asked, furrowing her eyebrows and glancing at the time.

  
“Yeah, thanks. I was just wondering… Can I have a quick word?” She directed her question firmly at the man behind the counter.

  
He glanced at his girlfriend, before nodding. “We’ll finish this later, sweetheart.”

  
“We will.” Belle agreed. Then she smiled at the teenager and squeezed her forearm gently, disappearing through the shop door with a jingle of the bell.

  
“So, Miss Reilly, what is it that I can do for you?”

“I wanted to know… Is there something you’re not telling me about this… thing?”

  
“Erebus?” Gold asked, as though there could be something else on her mind. When the girl nodded, he tilted his head slightly to the side and surveyed her carefully. “What is it that you imagine I could be withholding?”

  
“I don’t know.” She admitted. “But there _is_ something, I’m sure of it.”

  
“I’m assuming your mothers do not know you’re here?”

  
Liv clenched her jaw. Whether it was because he had used the word ‘mothers’ or because he had guessed that she had sneaked out, she wasn’t entirely sure. It irritated her either way. “Not exactly…”

  
“Perhaps that is for the best.” He mused, eyeing her for a moment. “The truth, Miss Reilly, is that you have a difficult choice to make.”

  
“What choice?”

  
He motioned over his shoulder to the door at the back of the shop before starting to limp towards it. Liv hesitated, uneasy about confining herself in the back room with him. Then she decided that she had to know what was going on and followed quickly. Gold indicated that she should take a seat, which she did, before offering her a drink, which she refused.

  
“Now…” He took his time to settle into his own chair. “I omitted some information in our discussion with your mother earlier.” Sensing her discomfort, he raised an eyebrow. “Are you uncomfortable with the idea of Mayor Mills and Sheriff Swan being your mothers?”

  
“No… It’s just taking a bit of getting used to.”

  
“Understandable.” He nodded. “Well, as I was saying, there are some details I purposefully omitted in our earlier conversation.”

  
Liv frowned as he still didn’t enlighten her. “What? And why?”

  
“What I failed to tell you is that Erebus will _not_ be defeated without taking a life. Erebus cannot be stopped and he will keep returning until he gets what he came here for. Someone _will_ die, Miss Reilly. Someone connected to the magic that summoned it here.”

  
“So me, Emma or Regina?” Liv almost whispered. “And that’s the difficult choice I have to make?”

  
Gold nodded. “It is.”

  
“Then it’s made.” She replied firmly. “It’s gonna be me.”

  
“Admirable.” The man told her, looking mildly impressed at the determination in her tone and the speed with which she’d made the decision. “Are you sure?”

  
“Of course… that’s what I’m here for, right? You _knew_ that it would be me; that’s why you didn’t mention it in front of Regina because she’d refuse to even contemplate it.” She replied bluntly, the realisation hitting her suddenly.

  
“You’re quite right. In the book it was you.” He agreed emotionlessly.

  
“So why give me the potion? To make Regina think we could defeat it? And…” She trailed off with a deep frown. “Why did you get me to agree to owe you a favour if you knew I couldn’t fulfil the promise?”

  
“Contrary to popular belief I’m not _completely_ heartless. I was not about to offer Regina false hope about her child’s wellbeing and still demand something from her in return.”

“But you _were_ happy to let her think we could sort this? You _were_ happy to stand there and give her false hope?” The teenager snapped at him.

He shrugged. “There’s nothing I can do about it.”

  
“So is it definite?” Liv asked, her lip wobbling a little as she fought to stay composed. “Is there definitely nothing we can do?”

  
“I’m afraid not, Miss Reilly. Erebus _will_ take you.”

  
“OK.”  
  
Gold considered her for a long moment. “You seem very calm for someone who’s just been told they are going to die.”

  
Liv shrugged, refusing to let the man see how scared she was. “Like you said, there’s nothing we can do except make sure my… my moms… don’t get hurt.” Gold didn’t seem to know how to respond to that, so he just watched her as though trying to work her out. After a moment Liv looked at him seriously. “Will… will you do something for me? Think of it as my last request if you like.”

  
“If I were to agree, what would you have me do?” He asked curiously.

  
“Find a way for them to have a baby without paying the price.”

  
“Miss Reilly, all magic comes–”

  
“I know, I know.” The teenager agreed, waving a hand at him dismissively. “But there must be a way. There’s got to be a spell or something? Please?”

  
“I can’t promise anything, but I give you my word that I will look into it.”

  
The girl nodded, wringing her hands and stood. Awkwardly she drifted towards the door. “Thank you. Do you know when…?”

  
“Tomorrow night.”

  
Liv bit her lip and nodded again. “Right… I guess this is probably goodbye then. Just… please try and find a way…”

  
“I’ll try.” He assured her, standing and walking to the shop door with the girl. “I’m truly sorry it had to end this way.”


	23. Chapter 23

Emma and Regina were still awake and downstairs in the living room when Liv returned to the house, but her absence had clearly not been missed. Crawling into bed, the teenager lay on her back and stared at the ceiling. She listened as the front door closed and, moments later, Regina’s bedroom door closed with a click.

Sleep eluded her and Liv found herself wondering what she should do before the creature claimed her life. Getting up, she crossed to the dressing table and started scribbling a letter to her mothers. Rather than getting hung up on her anxieties, the teenager realised she had nothing to lose and wrote exactly how she was feeling.

Sealing the letter in an envelope – slightly amused that she had actually found a use for the stationary that Regina had given her – Liv wrote one for Henry too. Finding herself on a roll, she wrote one to Mary Margaret and David as well. By the time she was finished, she saw that it was nearly half past four in the morning. There was no point trying to sleep, so she dressed quickly and went downstairs, letting herself out into the back yard.

Dawn was just breaking, but the air was cold and she shivered as she watched several birds fluttering down to perch in the trees. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on immobilising them with her magic. She continued practising until Regina appeared at the kitchen door and demanded to know how long she’d been there. On being told the time, the teenager truthfully admitted she had been outside for almost three hours.

With a sigh, the brunette propelled her inside and sat her at the breakfast bar with a mug of coffee. She asked Liv how she’d been getting on while she bustled around making pancakes, before eventually placing a pile in front of the girl. Toying with her food, Liv recounted how many times she’d managed to immobilise the birds and squirrels in the garden and how long she’d managed to hold the spell in place.

“You must show me before I go to work.” Regina instructed, seating herself on the stool next to her daughter’s and sipping her coffee.

“Can I show you now?” Liv asked eagerly, her eyes lighting up.

The brunette looked taken aback at the child-like excitement the teenager displayed and nodded, beaming back and following her out of the back door. She leant against the wall as Liv targeted a squirrel darting across the lawn and closed her eyes. Moments later the rodent froze, bound by the now familiar lightly pulsing blue ropes. Regina clapped proudly as the teenager raised her hand slightly, causing the animal to levitate a foot or so above the ground. Gently she lowered the squirrel once more and, with a flick of her wrist, the spell was removed and the creature bounded away hurriedly.

“When all this is over I’m going to teach you about magic properly.” Regina promised, wrapping an arm around the teenager’s shoulders and pulling her back into the warmth of the kitchen.

Liv said nothing, an intense cold sweeping through her entire body as she remembered that, however much she wanted it, that wasn’t an option. Instead of letting Regina see that she was upset, she nodded enthusiastically and engaged the woman in a conversation about the spells that she would teach her.

“I’d better get going.” Regina said suddenly, glancing at the time and seeing she was running late. “What are you going to do today?”

“I…” Hesitating, the teenager realised that she didn’t know what to do with herself. She’d been asked several times what she’d do with her last day on Earth and Liv had given a range of answers from the slightly boring to the downright ridiculous. Now that she was facing that prospect, she honestly had no idea what to do. “D’you think Archie would let me borrow Pongo? I’d like to practise immobilising larger things.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind if you ask nicely.” The brunette replied distractedly, gathering up files as she whirled through the downstairs rooms, her mind already on her day ahead. “I’ll be home at five.”

The door closed with a resounding click. Silence fell at once and the teenager found herself sliding down the wall and landing with a bump on the marble floor of the foyer. Tonight she was going to die and today… today she didn’t know what she was going to do. She didn’t want to practise her magic. There was absolutely no point; it wouldn’t help.

Deciding that she should get her things sorted so that there would be less for her mothers to do, Liv made her way upstairs and headed into her bedroom to pack up her stuff. Opening the wardrobe she began pulling out clothes, folding them neatly and piling them on the freshly made bed. Her work clothes went on one pile, jeans on another, tops in a third and hoodies in a fourth. She left a single plain green hoody hanging in the wardrobe.

Staring at the piles, the teenager turned and went downstairs, hunting in the kitchen cupboards for garbage bags. Finding some under the sink, she returned to her room and carefully placed the piles of clothes into them. She was surprised that she now owed enough clothes to fill three bags. A fourth, almost empty, bag held the four pairs of shoes she wasn’t wearing; a pair of boots, a pair of high tops, a pair of sneakers and her work heels.

Lining them up in front of the dresser and wardrobe, she turned her attention to her other possessions. She wasn’t really sure what to do with them. No one would want the small collection of things she carried around from home to home; the gardening book, a couple of childish drawings, a small bundle of photographs from her childhood, a china dog Emma had thought would make a good Christmas present for a ten-year-old and a troll toy she’d won at a fair. It was junk, really. With a sigh, she just left the backpack containing the items on her bed and collected together all of her jewellery and makeup, tidying it all away neatly on the dressing table.

Propping up the three envelopes in front of the mirror, she pulled the door firmly closed and went downstairs. It wasn’t even ten o’clock and she had all day to occupy herself. She briefly considered going to see Emma or Regina, but decided against it. Instead she paced around, unable to settle at anything for very long.

Finally Liv realised that Henry would be finishing school soon and decided that collecting him would be enough of a distraction to stop her completely losing her mind. Grabbing her jacket, she practically ran through the town in the direction of Storybrooke Elementary. Halfway there, an idea struck her and she grinned to herself.

Reaching the school, she leant against the wall to wait for her brother. Other parents watched her warily, either wondering who she was or gossiping about her with their friends. She didn’t care; even if she hadn’t been distracted by mingled thoughts of the plan she was concocting and her impending death, she wouldn’t have paid any attention to the looks and whispers aimed in her direction.

“Hey, Henry…” Liv pushed herself off the wall suddenly and sped up slightly to catch up with him, slowing down as soon as she was at his side and matching his stride.

  
“I didn’t know you were picking me up today?”

  
“I wasn’t supposed to be, but I’ve got a plan and I need your help. Any idea where Emma’s bug is? Or… what’s left of it, anyway.”

  
“It’s at the junkyard.” He informed her curiously. “Why? It’s pretty smashed up.”

  
“Come on.”

  
The girl waited for Henry to lead the way, having no idea where Storybrooke’s junkyard might be. They headed to the very edge of town and ducked through a pair of rusty gates, one hanging off its hinges. On either side of what was obviously a path through the yard, heaps of metal, wood, broken appliances and various other items almost created a wall. Liv really hoped that an avalanche didn’t start anytime soon.

  
“There it is.” Henry exclaimed, pointing towards a familiar flash of yellow in the distance.

  
Making their way towards it, Liv’s breath hitched in her chest as her eyes took in the true extent of the damage. Now she could understand why they all thought she should have died in the crash. It was truly mangled.

  
“Why did you want to see it?” Henry asked quietly.

  
Liv glanced sideways and took in the expression on his face. Seeing his lip wobbling slightly, she reached out and ruffled his hair. “I want to try something, OK? Stand back a minute.”

  
“Are you going to do magic?”

  
“I’m going to try.” She agreed. “I don’t know if it’ll work. It might blow up for all I know, so stand back.”

  
Reluctantly he did as he was told, leaving the teenager to take a step forward and lay her hand on the cracked driver’s window of the car cautiously. Squeezing her eyes closed, she conjured an image of the undamaged bug in her mind, focusing her magic in repairing the vehicle to its former glory. A gasp from behind her and a strange feeling inside her, as though someone had attached a vacuum cleaner to her chest, informed the teenager that _something_ was happening at least.

  
Thoroughly drained, Liv let her hand drop from the window and her head fall forwards onto her chest. For a couple of moments she just stood, trying to scrape together what was left of her energy.

  
“You actually did it…” Henry murmured in awe.

  
Opening one eye, as though expecting him to be messing with her, the girl saw that he was right. The dents and mangled metal and smashed glass were as good as new. The paintwork was shiny and fresh and it gleamed in the sunlight.

  
“It looks brand new!” Henry pointed out unnecessarily. “It’s better than it was before! That’s amazing!”

  
Liv smiled at him, leaning heavily against the car as casually as she could, not letting on how much the magic had taken out of her. “I didn’t expect that to work!”

  
“Ma’s gonna be so happy!”

  
“Yeah… we’re keeping this a secret for now.” Liv told him firmly. Seeing his questioning expression, she shrugged. “Regina hates this car and she’s got enough to deal with right now. Let’s just get this whole… thing… over and done with before we land this on her too. OK?”

  
Henry nodded, grinning. “OK.”

  
With a weak smile, the girl pushed herself off the car and looked around the yard. “Right… You inspect to make sure I haven’t missed anything while I go and make the arrangements for it to stay here for a couple days. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  
Leaving the boy happily examining the bug from all angles, she headed towards the small trailer a little further through the maze of junk. The man sitting in a lawn chair outside it barely glanced up as she approached. He only put down his paper when she cleared her throat and stood over him with her hands on her hips in irritation.

  
“Yeah?” He drawled lazily. “What?”

  
“The bug.” She motioned over her shoulder. “I need you to keep it here for a couple days and then someone will come and pick it up.”

  
The man looked past her, his eyes widening as he saw the pristine car. At once the teenager saw dollar signs in his eyes. “I could get a pretty penny for that.”

  
“Well you’re not going to, because that is the Sheriff’s car, not yours.”

  
“Possession is nine tenths of the law.”

  
Liv snorted. “Really? Who are you going to sell it to? Everyone knows it’s Emma's.”

  
“I have contacts…”

  
“No. I nearly died in that car and you are not going to–”

  
The man leered nastily at her. “What are you gonna do about it?”

  
Acting on impulse, the teenager raised her hand, pinning the man against the side of the trailer with an invisible force that made him cough and splutter, clawing at his throat.

  
“OK, OK!” He choked out desperately.

  
Flexing her fingers, Liv tightened the hold on him momentarily, before releasing him and letting him drop to the ground. “Good. Someone will come and pick it up tomorrow. If it’s not here in the same condition it is now…”

  
She turned and stalked away, letting the rest of her threat hang in the air between them. Closing her eyes briefly, Liv took a steadying breath. She regretted losing her temper, but she could now understand better than ever how Regina had done some of the things she had. It was a seductive, powerful feeling. Her fingers still tingled with the magic that had pinned the man to the trailer wall and she shook her hand slightly, as though trying to flick the feeling away.

  
Fixing a bright smile on her face, she stopped in front of Henry. “Ready to go?”

  
He nodded and walked beside her as they made their way out of the junkyard, shrugging his backpack further up his shoulder nervously. “I saw that… what you did to that man.”

  
“Henry, that was…” She sighed. “I’m sorry, yeah? He was talking about selling the bug and I lost my temper. I’m not in line to become the next Evil Queen or anything. People just… do bad stuff sometimes.”

  
“I know.” He agreed in a small voice.

  
“I won’t do it again, OK?”

  
He nodded, but she could tell he wasn’t convinced. Sighing, the girl slung her arm around his shoulders as casually as she could manage. Today really wasn’t the day for Henry to be angry with her. She needed him to forgive her before she went off to face the creature that would cause her death.

  
“Look, Henry, I know everything is black and white in your mind. But there is grey in the world. Most people aren’t good and they aren’t evil. They’re just kinda… grey.” She tried to explain for what felt like the hundredth time. They had had this conversation on more than a couple of occasions since her arrival in Storybrooke, but that afternoon Liv felt like it was more important than anything. “Regina was dark grey and now she’s kinda… mid-grey. Emma too… they’re not so different, you know? I mean, Emma’s never killed anyone or cursed an entire land… but she’s done bad stuff too.”

  
He nodded slowly. “I guess…”

  
“And me. I’m mid-grey too. I do some bad stuff, like with that guy or… some stuff I did before I came here… but then I do some good stuff too, like fixing the bug and… stuff…” She knew she was displaying the lack of eloquence that Regina was only too happy to point out at every opportunity, but she couldn’t seem to force the words into a sentence that made much sense. “Even you, Henry. You’re a good kid and I know you love your Moms, but the way you treated Regina over all this curse stuff wasn’t good. I just… I don’t want you to be mad at me because I acted without thinking and did something that wasn’t exactly right.”

  
There was a pause and then Henry sighed. “I’m not mad. I was just worried that you’d get in trouble or something.”

  
She smiled down at him, tightening her arm around his shoulder. “I’m not gonna get in trouble for that. And I won’t do it again. I promise.”

* * *

As soon as Emma and Regina appeared in the kitchen early that evening, Liv informed them that she was going to face Erebus that night. They both started protesting; asking how she knew he would appear. Not wanting to talk about her conversation the previous night with Rumplestiltskin, the teenager just shrugged and told them she had a feeling.

There was a long moment of silence as the women studied her carefully. Then Emma bundled Henry into her cruiser and drove him back to the apartment while Regina and Liv prepared themselves. The teenager had decided not to tell her mothers that she had no intention of letting them go with her to face the creature. She was planning on simply escaping from the house and making her way into the forest alone. She wasn’t sure how she knew where Erebus would appear, but some instinct told her that the forest was her best bet.

Time passed quickly, Liv sneaking glances at the time every couple of minutes until it got to half past eight. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she decided that the time had come to face her demons. Literally.

Leaving Regina pouring over her mother’s old spell book for anything that might help them that evening, Liv pulled the study door closed behind her and grabbed her coat off the rack, before slipping into the living room where Emma was nervously sitting on the couch, chewing her nails. Music was playing in the background and the teenager found herself listening silently to the lyrics.

_Right from the start_

_You were a thief_

_You stole my heart_

_And I’m your willing victim_

_I let you see the parts of me_

_That weren't all that pretty_

_And with every touch you fixed them_

“That song reminds me of Gina…” Emma almost whispered, making Liv jump. The girl hadn’t realised her mother was aware of her presence.

Unable to voice how she really felt about that statement because she knew that it would completely break her and her resolve would fail, Liv just shrugged. “You’ve got so soppy.”

Smiling weakly, as though she understood, the older woman sighed. “So? How’s it going?”

“I’m going. Now. On my own.” Liv announced, hardening her expression and fixing the blonde with an almost angry stare. “Please make sure Regina doesn’t follow me. I don’t want her to come.”

  
“I know she can be a bit… overbearing.” Emma conceded with a sigh. “But she just wants to make sure you’re safe. I’d feel a whole lot better if she was with you.”

  
The teenager exhaled sharply. “That’s the point; I have to do this on my own. If she’s there it won’t work.”

  
The woman saw through the words immediately, although Liv hadn’t for a second thought that her lie would go unnoticed. “What are you hiding?”

  
“Nothing.”

  
“This is exactly the reason Regina needs to come with you. There’s something very wrong about all this and you need her magic. It can help–”

  
“Emma! Please!”

  
“Liv, if you don’t tell me what’s wrong right this minute we’ll all go and face this… thing… together. You, me, Regina, Mary Margaret, David… Hell! We’ll even get Ruby and Granny and Leroy in on it!”

  
“No!” The teenager’s eyes widened as she panicked. No one else knew about the prophecy or Liv or Emma and Regina’s relationship or anything. Concerned, the blonde reached out and clamped her hands around Liv’s upper arms, staring into her eyes. With an involuntary sigh that shook her entire body, the girl spoke. “If Regina comes with me, she’ll die.”

  
“Gold tell you that?”

  
Liv nodded, deciding to tell the woman half-truths. “He wouldn’t tell me in front of her… I went back to see him later. He… He told me that it says in that stupid book of his that she’s going to die. So I can’t let her be there. I won’t."

  
“Well then let me–”

  
“No!”  
  
“What, will I die too?” Emma demanded.

  
“I won’t take the risk.” Liv snapped. “Henry needs both of you. I can handle this on my own. I have to do this alone.”

Letting out a long sigh of resignation, the blonde nodded. “I’m not going to argue too hard about Regina not going with you.” Emma’s eyes flickered up to meet Liv’s and she smiled. “We’re pregnant.”

“What, both of you?” The teenager asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

Emma laughed. “No, idiot, Gina’s actually the one who’s going to have it… you. She did a test – one of those ones that tells you how far along you are – and it said she’s 3-4 weeks. We were going to tell everyone once this is all sorted.”

“Well that’s… that’s amazing!” Liv smiled and, acting on impulse, hugged the older woman tightly. She didn’t even want to start trying to get her head around the fact that she’d been conceived while she was in a lying in hospital in a coma. “Makes sense… I’ll be eighteen in eight months. That must be why this is going to happen tonight… because me and unborn me is like some kind of… I dunno… paradox?”

“You’ve been watching too much sci-fi, kid.”

Shrugging casually, the girl picked up the potion Gold had given her and slipped it carefully into her coat pocket. “Yeah, maybe… just make sure you both stay away, alright?”

“I promise. Just… be careful. Phone us when you’ve done it.” Emma ordered, hugging her tightly again. “I… I love you, kid.”

Liv smiled into the blonde curls, mouthing the words back silently. Pulling away, she simply rolled her eyes, not allowing her fear and sadness to show. “Don’t get all soppy on me now.” She headed for the door. “See you.”


	24. Chapter 24

“Where’s Liv?” Regina asked hurriedly, bursting through the living room door and looking around expectantly. “I think I’ve found something.”

  
Emma turned slowly, knowing that the brunette would go mad when she realised that the girl had gone alone. “Gina, she’s gone.”

  
“Gone? Where?”

  
“Last night she went to see Gold and he told her that if you went with her you’d die. She wouldn’t let that happen, so she told me to make sure you stayed here.”

  
Regina’s face was a mask of horror as she processed her girlfriend’s words, realisation dawning slowly. “That ridiculous, idiotic girl… She’s sacrificing herself, Emma!”

  
“No, you taught her the immobilising spell and she’s got that potion Gold gave her. She’ll be–”

  
“She won’t be fine! Are you completely stupid?” The brunette snapped before the younger woman could get the words out. “It all makes sense now… I can’t believe I didn’t realise before… Erebus needs a life to take back to The Netherworld. That... that twisted little imp _knew_ that... he _knew_ that someone had to die... He… he’s tricked her or… or convinced her to go alone. She’s going to _die_ Emma!”

  
The green eyes fixed on hers widened with fear and the Sheriff stood up immediately, heading out into the foyer and grabbing her jacket. Regina was a split second behind her as they piled into the Mercedes and began speeding towards the town line.

  
“How long’s she been gone?”

  
Emma hesitated. “I don’t know… half an hour… three quarters?”

“How could you be so stupid…?” Regina asked again, choking back tears. “How could you let her go on her own?”

“OK, OK!” The blonde snapped back, guilt and fear crashing over her in waves. “Just… let’s just find her, alright? You can bitch at me later.”

They drove quickly towards the edge of town. Neither really knew why, but they were certain that was where Liv would have been heading. Sure enough, the closer they got to the town line the more both women were acutely aware of the unmistakable feeling of magic. It was almost like a metallic tinge to the air that caused the hairs on the backs of their necks and on their arms to rise like a warning.

Stopping the car on the side of the road, the women were out in a second and pushing through the undergrowth deeper into the forest, following the trail of magic. After a couple of moments they came across a large clearing. The moon in the clear sky above them illuminated the scene and ripped the air from their lungs. Regina instinctively reached for Emma, her hand closing around the younger woman’s wrist and holding her back as their eyes took in the situation unfolding in front of them.

“Liv!” Emma called hoarsely, trying to break free of her girlfriend’s grip.

“Don’t!” The teenager ordered, looking terrified as she turned to face them. “Don’t! Stay back!”

In response to her words, they both instinctively moved forwards towards her. Out of nowhere a looming figure appeared just behind the girl, causing both Emma and Regina to scream before they could stop themselves. Their reaction led to a smirk pulling at the corners of their daughter’s lips before she turned again and faced the creature determinedly.

“Come on then, asshole…” They heard her mutter.

Frozen to the spot in horror, it was all the women could do to watch as Liv pulled the stopper out of the flask Gold had given her, pouring the contents onto the ground beneath Erebus. Even as she did that, he was raising his arm, talons extending towards her. As soon as the liquid from the flask hit the forest floor, a deep blue mist started rising from the damp ground, tendrils sneaking up around the creature almost like ropes. The seemingly solid surface beneath the figure began crumbling inwards, as though it were collapsing underneath him. Giving an ear-splitting, furious screech, Erebus began to sink down into the ground, the magic dragging him back to where he had come from.

“Liv!” Regina called out, taking several tentative steps forwards and holding out a hand. “Come on… come here!”

“Sorry…” The teenager said softly. “I have to, he’ll keep coming back. He’ll keep coming back until he gets what he wants. I _have_ to go. Bye… I love you.”

“No!” The women shouted together as, with a sad smile, Liv stepped forwards into the blue mist and vanished.

Racing forwards, Emma and Regina reached the spot as the last curls of smoke were dissipating into the air, leaving nothing behind but a strong metallic tang. For several long moments the two just stood and stared at the slightly darker patch of ground their daughter had disappeared into.

Kicking the dirt angrily Emma wanted to scream and shout and punch a couple of trees. She wanted to march into Gold’s shop and wring his neck. She wanted… she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Anger and guilt and a terrible crushing sadness were engulfing her, dragging her down to the darkness that was threatening to overtake her.

Beside her, Regina stood as still as a statue. She couldn’t process what was going on; she was completely numb. Tears found their way from under her eyelids and down her cheeks, splashing onto the ground beneath her feet without her even noticing. Dangerous purple lights were crackling around her fingertips as her emotions began to rise to a crescendo in her chest.

“Gina…” Emma almost whispered, pulling herself back to her senses and spotting the magic threatening to burst from her girlfriend. “Gina.”

“I… she… she’s actually…” Was all the brunette could manage before she burst into tears and threw herself into Emma’s arms. The blonde sobbed into her hair, holding her close and stroking her back in an attempt to comfort her. “She’s gone.”

For a couple of moments Emma said nothing. Then she shook her head, a wave of nausea churning her stomach. “I need to get away from here.”

“No! We can’t leave her!”

“She’s gone!” The blonde screamed. “She’s gone and she’s not coming back!”

Regina blinked several times. Then she bit her lip and nodded. “She’s gone.”

Running a hand over her face in sudden exhaustion, Emma sighed. Then she held out her hand, taking Regina’s and pulling her gently in the direction of the road. The brunette didn’t resist as she was tugged through the trees and pushed into the passenger seat of her car. She barely noticed as they drove through the streets. Emma didn’t either, her actions on autopilot as she pulled up on the driveway and killed the engine.

They sat in silence for a while before, at exactly the same moment, they opened their doors and walked towards the house. Regina opened the front door and they went inside. Emma moved into the living room and poured two large glasses of scotch, handing one to Regina. The liquid vanished in split seconds.

Still on autopilot they headed upstairs, undressing and slipping under the covers. After a long time lying side-by-side in the silent darkness, Emma reached out and held Regina’s hand. She felt the brunette squeezing her fingers tightly, drawing comfort from the connection.

“Tomorrow.” Regina murmured after a moment. “Tomorrow I’m going to look for a way to sort this.”

Neither woman slept at all. They lay in silence staring up at the ceiling, both hoping that this was just a nightmare that they would be able to wake up from. It was only when Regina bolted from the bed and leant over the bowl of the toilet retching loudly that they realised they were definitely not dreaming. Emma sighed and followed her into the bathroom, rubbing her girlfriend’s back soothingly; she remembered the horrors of morning sickness all too well. It was one of the reasons that she was pleased that Regina was the one who was pregnant this time.

A short while later the blonde handed Regina a glass of water. She sipped it gratefully, sitting on the tiled floor with her back against the bath.

“This is so messed up…” Emma muttered, sliding down to sit beside her and taking her girlfriend’s hand in her own, running her thumb over Regina’s knuckles. “We’re in mourning for the teenager who is currently the foetus causing your morning sickness.”

The brunette chuckled mirthlessly and set down her glass. “Messed up.” She agreed. Then she sobbed, pressing her free hand over her mouth. “How do we explain this to Henry?”

Emma squeezed her eyes closed. “I don’t know.” She admitted. “He’s gonna be devastated, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“But we have to tell him straight away. We can’t hide this.”

“I am going to try and find a way to get her back.” Regina said after a couple of minutes. “There _has_ to be something we can do.”

“Remember what happened with…” Emma didn’t want to say the name of the young man whose death had led to everything Regina had ever done to earn the title of Evil Queen.

Understanding what her hesitation meant, the brunette smiled weakly, her eyes giving her sadness away as always. “This is different. We’re not trying to bring life back to a corpse. We’re trying to bring our daughter back from The Netherworld.”

“Is it possible?”

Regina sighed. “I honestly have no idea.”

* * *

Emma hesitated with her hand on the knob of Liv’s bedroom door. Regina was resting on her orders and the blonde wanted to feel close to their daughter. She found, however, that she couldn’t quite bring herself to simply open the door and walk inside. Closing her eyes tightly and taking several deep breaths, she twisted her wrist and pushed, feeling the door give.

Opening her eyes again, she looked inside the room. Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw the four trash bags lined up neatly, the makeup case and the jewellery box side by side on the dressing table and the backpack on the bed. Liv had planned and tidied up before she’d gone to face that creature. She’d obviously been trying to make things easier for them.

About to turn and flee from the room, tears already falling thick and fast, Emma’s eye fell on the three envelopes propped up in front of the mirror. She grabbed them and left the room, shutting the door firmly behind her and leaning against it. A sob escaped and she slumped to the ground, putting her head on her knees and giving in to the crushing grief that engulfed her. 

“Em… baby?” Regina’s soft voice broke through her thoughts and Emma turned into the brunette’s embrace, clinging to her desperately. “It’s OK… let it out.”

“She… she packed up her stuff…” Emma choked out. “Before she went. She… everything’s tidied away…”

“Oh…” Regina buried her head in the blonde curls draping over her shoulder as her girlfriend pressed her face into her neck.

For a long time they stayed in that position, just clinging onto each other. Then Emma shifted slightly, causing the three envelopes she’d taken from Liv’s bedroom to slip onto the carpeted floor. With a frown the brunette reached for them, taking in the names scribbled on the front in large, rounded letters.

“What are these?” Regina asked, her finger running slowly across the word ‘Moms’ written on the front of one.

“They were… in there…” Emma told her, biting her lip. Shaking her head and making her curls fly around her, she turned wide eyes on her girlfriend. “Will you read it? I don’t think I can.”

Regina paused for a moment, her eyes stuck on the envelope as she wondered what was inside. With a stuttered sigh, she untucked the flap carefully and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Leaning back against the wall beside Emma, she read the letter slowly. It was written in the same large, rounded handwriting as the envelopes.

Glancing up in surprise as Regina snorted in amusement, Emma couldn’t resist resting her chin on the older woman’s shoulder and reading the letter too. She couldn’t help a small smile twisting her lips as Liv shone through the writing. A burst of pride swelled in both women’s chests as they realised that the letter displayed no hints of fear at all; simply determination, humour and strength.

_Dear Moms,_

_So… I guess this is it. I just found you and now I’m having to go someplace else._

_I’m so used to this routine – settling in, getting used to being somewhere and then leaving – but this time it’s ~~shit~~ different._

_And yes, Regina, I can see you rolling your eyes and muttering about how badly I’m putting it. I can hear your voice in my head, ‘eloquent as ever… just like Miss Swan.’ And don’t say anything about the swearing… I crossed it out._

_But it_ is _different. It’s_ so _different._

**_Emma_ ** _. I’ve known you for so long without really knowing you at all. My whole life you’ve been the one who took care of me, the one who put band aids on my knees when I fell down, the one who tucked me back into bed when I had nightmares, the one who told me that I needed to stand up for myself and punch the bullies back. Literally. We might not have known why, but somehow we always knew that we were supposed to be together. Well, I knew it anyway. You were always the person I wanted to see when things got really crap; you’re the reason I survived. I know that you only ever did what you thought was right for me – leaving me in that home was the best choice then. I was never really pissed off at you; I understood. But you took me in without question when I got here and you made me feel loved and wanted. So thank you, **Ma**._

**_Regina_ ** _. I might not have known you long, but I feel like I’ve known you forever. You thought I was an annoying delinquent brat when we first met – don’t deny it because it was written all over your face – but you couldn’t resist my charms for long. Who can, right? I’m part Emma, after all. You gave me a chance, even though I’m pretty sure you didn’t know why. I don’t know why you did, anyway. No one has really bothered to do that before. You taught me so much – not just about running an office and using magic. You taught me that it was OK to fight for what you want, that it’s OK to hold your head up high and remember who you are when people are painting you as something else, that it’s OK to let your guard down every once in a while and let people in. I felt more at home here than I ever have before and a lot of that is because of you and everything you’ve done for me. So thank you, **Mom**._

_Now, soppiness over and done with, let’s get down to the important stuff._

  1. _I know exactly what I’m doing. The only person to blame for what’s going to happen… I guess what’s already happened by now… is me. I understand that I’m going to die. And it’s OK. I just wish we’d had more time._



  1. _Mr Gold explained everything. He didn’t trick me or convince me to do anything; he just told me what I needed to know and I made the decision myself. It was a no-brainer really; me or you guys. In the grand scheme of things you two are far more important than me. It had to be me._



  1. _Please don’t blame each other. There was nothing Ma could have done to stop me going on my own – I’d have used the immobilising spell on her if she’d tried – and there was no way Mom’s magic could have prevented this. So don’t argue. Don’t fight. Definitely don’t break up – I didn’t nearly die in a car crash for you to give up so easy. Henry needs you both: together and happy. So does little baby me before you send her back in time. I’m totally fine with that, by the way. It has to be done. It wasn’t really so bad – it was all worth it in the end._



  1. _I had a word with Mr Gold and he’s promised to try and find a way for you to have another baby without the creepy creature coming to get payback. Hell, have an army of babies if you can. And if you do have a baby I’ve always liked the names Nicole and Charlie. Just sayin’…_



  1. _I’ve sorted out my stuff. The trash bags are my clothes and shoes – you can give them to charity or whatever. The same with my jewellery and makeup. The other stuff in my backpack… it’s just junk I couldn’t bring myself to leave behind when I moved around, I guess. You can bin it or whatever you think is best._



_Don’t be sad. I really am OK about this. For once in my life I’m actually doing something that matters, something that you can be proud of me for._

_I love you both._

_Liv x_

_P.S. I fixed the bug – sorry, Mom – and I’ve asked Ruby to pick it up from the junkyard and drop it round tomorrow afternoon. x_

Neither spoke for a couple of moments, reading and re-reading the letter until both were sure they knew it off by heart. Emma was the first to move, pulling herself to her senses and her feet. Reaching out, she helped Regina stand before wrapping her in her arms and pressing a kiss to her temple.

“We have to explain things to Henry and… and my parents.”

Regina sighed deeply, her eyes closed. She nodded almost reluctantly, knowing that if they didn’t tell Snow and Charming everything then it would be worse in the long run. For one thing, Henry couldn’t keep his mouth shut for very long. For another thing Liv’s disappearance would soon be noticed and Regina just knew that without an explanation suspicion would fall squarely on her shoulders, like everything else seemed to. And then there was the fact that her pregnancy wouldn’t be easily hidden for very much longer; if nothing else she didn’t doubt Ruby would be able to detect it on her with her strange sense of smell.

“Can we just give your parents Liv’s letter and run away?” She suggested weakly, assuming that it would say enough to make them realise what was going on.

Emma chuckled. “No, babe, we can’t.”

Sighing deeply, the older woman nodded. “We should go and explain everything now. I think… maybe if we tell Henry at the same time…”

“Then we only need to say it once?”

Regina nodded and Emma sighed, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the brunette’s. “Let’s get it over and done with.”

* * *

Keeping a tight grip on her girlfriend’s hand, Emma knocked and waited for someone to answer the door. After a couple of moments the door opened and Mary Margaret beamed at her daughter, her face falling as her eyes fell on Regina. Her eyes narrowed even further as she spotted their clasped hands.

“We need to talk.” The blonde murmured softly.

Mary Margaret nodded curtly and stood aside without saying a word, letting the two women walk past her into the apartment. David and Henry were sitting on the sofa, watching a movie, but they both looked up as Emma and Regina entered. The man looked confused, his brow furrowing even more at the closeness of the women, but Henry grinned.

“You’re gonna tell them?” He asked excitedly, causing his grandparents to fix him with a bemused stare.

Before her mind filtered the words, Emma blurted, “Liv’s dead.”

She collapsed onto one of the chairs at the dining table and pulled Regina down onto her lap, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her forehead on the woman’s shoulder, hiding her face from view. The brunette felt a little uncomfortable as Mary Margaret and David immediately glared at her, but she put a hand on top of Emma’s and stroked it gently.

“What?” Henry gaped. “What are you talking about?”

Wordlessly his mother held out the envelope with his name on it and he leapt towards her, grabbing it eagerly. Regina didn’t have the energy or inclination to scold him for snatching it from her. Instead she raised her gaze to meet Mary Margaret’s and held out the third and final envelope shakily. There was a moment of hesitation, before the raven-haired woman took the letter and moved to sit beside her husband.

“Mom… what does Liv mean she made the right decision?” The young boy asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. 

“May I?” Regina asked quietly, holding out her hand. Henry nodded and passed her the sheet of paper covered in the now familiar handwriting.

_Hey Henry,_

_Sorry I’m leaving you like this. I don’t want to, but shit happens I guess. Don’t get mad at anyone, OK? This was_ my _decision and_ I _made it. I made the_ right _decision. This way Ma and Mom get to live and you get your family._

_Don’t be a little shit to them, understand? And if Mom’s reading this I don’t care that I swore… twice. What are you gonna do? Come to The Netherworld and kick my butt for it? Actually… that sounds like something you’d do. So maybe you could make sure she doesn’t, Henry, yeah?_

_So… It’s up to you to make sure they stay together and get their happy ending now. The first part of Operation Angelfish went way better than we expected. Don’t lie – you didn’t expect it to work so well either. The second part is making sure they stay happy. That’s down to you now, Henry. I really wish I could be there to help you, but I can’t. I know you’ll do great. Just… you know… lock them in a room or something if they start arguing. Don’t be above emotional blackmail either; feel free to use my name in vain whenever you want._

_You’re a smart kid. A_ really _smart kid. Way smarter than me any day. Just make sure you use all those brains to do something… amazing. Make Mom and Ma proud for both of us, OK?_

_Love you, kid._

_Your baby sister, Liv x_

_P.S. That green hoody you love is in the wardrobe. It’s yours._

_P.P.S. If those bullies get on your case again, punch them. If anyone gives you shit for it, tell them I told you to. They can’t argue with a dead chick, right? If punching doesn’t work, a knee to the… well, you know where… usually works. Don’t let the assholes beat you._

_P.P.P.S. If Mom read that last bit, I’m sorry. x_

As she reached the end of the letter, Regina couldn’t help a laugh escaping her. Then she realised she couldn’t stop, shaking as her laughter bubbled through her, reducing her to tears. Feeling Emma trying to see what had amused her so much, the brunette handed her the letter. Moments later the blonde was laughing too.

“Trust Liv to give the most irresponsible advice ever.” She choked out.

“She’s right, though.” Regina murmured, suddenly sober. “I fully intend on finding a way to that place and kicking her butt.”

“I’m sorry…” Mary Margaret stood up, moving to stand in front of the two women and wafting her letter at them. “Will someone please explain what is going on here?”


	25. Chapter 25

Mary Margaret’s eyes were glued to the paper in her hand. She could vaguely hear laughter behind her, but it didn’t register in her mind as she read and re-read the letter over and over again. In it, Liv appeared to be telling her that she was their granddaughter; that somehow Emma and Regina had created a baby.

_Dear ~~Mary Margaret and David,~~ ~~Snow and Charming,~~ Grandma and Grandpa,_

_Sorry… I didn’t know what to call you. I know we haven’t exactly had the whole, ‘Surprise! I’m your granddaughter’ conversation – and I’m_ really _hoping Ma and Mom have explained things to you by now or this is gonna be kinda awkward – but it’s too late for all that. And to think you thought Mom was trying to seduce me…_

_I just wanted to thank you for taking me in and making me feel wanted for pretty much the first time ever. You were right, Grandpa, I_ was _safe. It would have been so easy for you to just tolerate me, or even ask me to leave; you didn’t know anything about me, except for what Ma told you. I could have been some kind of junkie thief for all you knew. But you still welcomed me into your home and your lives. You did more than you needed to and I am so grateful._

_This whole… situation… it’s not anyone’s fault. Decisions get made and I’m OK. By the time you get this I’ll be gone. But that’s fine. Ma and Mom will get their chance at a happy ending and Henry will have his family intact. That’s the best possible outcome, right?_

_Please give Mom a chance. I know she’s done some really bad stuff and I know that you can’t forgive her for trying to kill you or taking Ma away when she was a baby. But now she knows how you felt, right? You have something in common and you can use that to build a better relationship._

_I know it’ll be hard to understand and you probably won’t want to believe that Mom is Ma’s true love. But she is; I’m the proof. They’ll be together whatever you think or say. Don’t lose the chance to be a family because you can’t let go of the past._

_If you don’t want to do it for me, do it for Henry and Ma. Everyone deserves a chance at their happy ending and true love, right?_

_Sorry I couldn’t say goodbye._

_Liv x_

_P.S. I still have most of my wages and I fixed Ma’s bug with my magic, so you can have the money to repay you for the clothes. x_

Her husband was in a state of shock; Mary Margaret could tell he was trying to make connections in his mind and failing somewhat. For her part, she found the idea that Liv was her granddaughter easy to believe; it was obvious now she thought about it. From the moment she’d met her Mary Margaret had been drawn to the teenager. Liv seemed oddly familiar and now the raven-haired woman understood why. She even looked like Emma, the woman realised with surprise. She also, Mary Margaret had to concede, looked a lot like Regina.

Standing up shakily, still clutching the letter tightly, Mary Margaret moved to stand before her daughter and the brunette, glaring at them. The laughter had died down and both were looking sad again. Henry stood beside them, his head tilted slightly to the side as he stared.

“I’m sorry…” Mary Margaret started, her words sticking in her throat. She stopped and tried again. “Will someone please explain what is going on here?”

Emma looked up at her. “Mom… I know this is… crazy. But it’s true… at least I’m assuming whatever Liv’s written in the letter is true…” Slightly surprised, the blonde took the letter her mother wordlessly offered to her, eyes running over the writing quickly. She nodded. “It’s true.” Emma confirmed. “Regina is… I love her. So much. She’s…”

Mary Margaret found that she didn’t need to hear any more. The way the two women were looking at each other made it perfectly clear exactly how they felt about each other. It made her uncomfortable to witness but, somewhere inside her, she realised that Emma was truly happy and Mary Margaret relaxed a little. She didn’t like the idea that it was Regina who had captured her daughter’s heart and was making her so happy, but she knew that true love didn’t always make sense and you couldn’t plan for it.

“And Liv?”

This seemed to be a trickier subject to deal with. Both women sighed deeply, looking at each other for a moment before speaking. In the end, it was Henry who explained things before they had the chance.

“She’s my sister, my actual sister, except… she hasn’t been born yet. She’s from the future, but there was some… thing… and Rumplestiltskin took her back in time so that she could be here before to…” He trailed off, looking to his mothers for answers.

Sensing a slight shift in the pixie-haired woman’s demeanour towards her, Regina decided to attempt an explanation. “I know you won’t want to hear this, but I _do_ love your daughter. Believe me, I fought against it for a long time, but apparently there are some things that even I can’t control.” The brunette smirked, feeling Emma squeeze her thigh gently. “Snow… you must have heard stories back in the Enchanted Forest of couples like us who managed to conceive children?”

“I have.” Mary Margaret nodded weakly recalling a particular couple, Elizabeth and Anna, friends of hers who had found themselves in a similar situation. Her mind sifted through memories quickly and she frowned, remembering Elizabeth being left alone and pregnant after her wife disappeared, seemingly into thin air.

As though she guessed what the woman was thinking about, although she couldn’t have known exactly, Regina nodded slowly. “The magic needed to create life comes at a price… as with all magic. Except the price for creating life is–”

“Death…” Suddenly Anna’s disappearance made sense. Mary Margaret squeezed her eyes closed tightly.

“Quite.” Regina agreed. “A creature from The Netherworld called Erebus came to claim a life connected to the magic; Liv, Emma or me. We thought we could… but Liv made the decision and… she went alone. We got there just in time, but… Liv wouldn’t come away. She used the potion Rumple gave her to open a portal back to The Netherworld and it sucked the creature in. Liv said that she had to go or he would keep coming back and then… she…”

Trailing off, Regina shook her head and buried her face in Emma’s neck. The blonde ran her hands through her girlfriend’s hair gently, pressing a kiss to her head. No one needed to hear the words to know what had happened.

“Is there a way to get her back?” David asked, making them all jump. He’d been so quiet that they’d forgotten he was there.

“We don’t know.” Emma admitted quietly. “Regina’s going to look into it, but I…” Unconsciously she ran a hand gently over the woman’s flat stomach, her thumb stroking it gently.

“You’re pregnant?” Mary Margaret murmured, her eyes widening. “That’s why it came now?”

They both nodded. The raven-haired woman looked a little pale, but kept her composure. Henry and David, however, stared in complete shock, their mouths falling open in identical comical expressions.

“Liv wants us to move forward.” Mary Margaret reminded them after a couple of moments where the news sank in. “I think she’s right. I think we need to put everything behind us and move on.” She met Regina’s eyes, seeing surprise in the dark eyes. “Can we at least try?”

“I’d like to.” The brunette agreed with a small smile. “I’d really like to.”

Emma, Regina and Henry left shortly after. It was a lot for everyone to get their heads around and despite their promises to try and work through their differences both Regina and Mary Margaret knew there was a lot of history there which would be incredibly difficult to forgive or forget. Henry was buzzing with excitement at the prospect of having his family the way he wanted it with both his moms and his grandparents getting on. There was just one person missing.

As the trio climbed out of Regina’s car, Emma let out a small scream. At once Regina whirled around to see what had caused the reaction. Her mouth dropped open as her eyes fell on the cause of the sound. Ruby was leaning lazily against the sunshine yellow bug that Emma had been so devastated to loose after Liv’s accident.

“It… it… how?” Emma stuttered, her eyes wide as she walked slowly towards the vehicle, putting her hand almost reverently on the hood.

Regina rolled her eyes at her girlfriend’s behaviour but she, too, was stunned at the state of the car. It was perfect, in far better condition than she had ever seen it. Only Henry wasn’t surprised by the transformation, a smug smile appearing on his face as he remembered how it had got that way.

Effortlessly pushing herself off the vehicle, Ruby held out the keys to the blonde. “Liv asked me to pick it up from the junk yard. Wes didn’t seem too keen to let it go… said something about ‘that psycho girl’…”

“He means Liv.” Henry informed them with a shrug, walking towards the bug as though drawn to it. His hand ran over the driver’s door slowly. “She fixed it and he wanted to sell it, but she wouldn’t let him. She got really mad.”

“What d’you mean she fixed it?” Emma asked, remembering seeing the words written in the letter the teenager had left them. She hadn’t paid much attention to the postscript before, but now she was incredibly curious.

“What d’you mean she got really mad?” Regina asked warily, focussing on that part of her son’s words.

“She did this thing…” The boy started hesitantly. He didn’t want to get his sister into trouble but, he realised, it wasn’t as though they could tell her off now. “She like… held up her hand and he got pinned against the wall. It was like she was choking him. But she never touched him.”

His moms exchanged a look, both vividly remembering when Regina had used that same move on Emma. The blonde gulped. “And the bug?”

“She… She put her hand on it and screwed up her face like she was concentrating really hard. Then it just sorta… fixed.”

“Shit.” Emma muttered, exchanging yet another look with the brunette. “I guess Gold was right about her being powerful then. I’m assuming you never taught her that stuff?”

“No…” Regina agreed, biting her lip.

Ruby glanced past them hopefully, obviously looking for the teenager. “Where is she, anyway? I guessed she wanted me to pick it up ‘cos of the accident and everything. Granny wasn’t best pleased that I went off and left her on her own in the diner.”

“She… She’s gone.” Emma admitted slowly, leaning heavily against her car.

At the questioning glance from her friend, the Sheriff knew she’d have to explain everything. With a deep sigh, she nodded her head towards the house and the four of them went inside.

* * *

Months past. The news about Liv’s death and her connection to the family was soon common knowledge; very little remained a secret in Storybrooke for long. No longer having any reason to hide anything, Emma and Henry moved into Regina’s house properly. Slowly things seemed to feel almost normal. Mary Margaret and Regina remained true to their word and, to most people’s surprise, the two entered into something that could easily be described as a friendship. There were frequent moments of tension when one or other of them brought up something from the past, before they realised it wasn’t the most tactful thing to say. Both women realised, however, that flying off the handle or retaliating would simply eradicate the past couple of months of progress.

As Regina’s pregnancy continued and she got bigger and bigger, Emma found herself growing more and more grateful that it was the brunette who was going through it not her. She’d done the whole pregnancy thing once and Regina just seemed so much better at it; where Emma had cursed and grumbled, Regina seemed to treasure the experience. If Gold kept his promise to the teenager and they were able to have another baby, not that they’d discussed it, Emma was determined that it would be the brunette’s job to carry the kid.

So far none of Regina’s research had brought them any closer to finding a way to bring Liv back from The Netherworld. Slowly, reluctantly, Emma was beginning to think that Gold and the Blue Fairy were right in their adamance that there was no way to do it. Her girlfriend, on the other hand, refused to give up.

That was why, two days before the due date, Emma woke to find herself alone. Groaning, she rolled out of bed and padded downstairs. Sure enough, the light was on in Regina’s study, glowing beneath the closed door. Walking inside, the blonde leant against the frame and watched her girlfriend for a moment. Regina was sitting on the couch, tucked underneath a blanket with a book abandoned beside her and her head resting on a cushion against the back of the seat. She had obviously fallen asleep during trawling through her books for answers.

“Gina… babe… wake up.” Emma murmured, cupping the brunette’s face gently and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Removing the blanket from around her and folding it quickly, Emma placed it on arm of the couch and hauled her girlfriend to her feet, helping her back to bed. “You need to sleep…”

“I can’t. I need to–”

“No. You don’t.” The blonde argued firmly, practically pushing her up the stairs. “You need to get ready to have this baby. When… when everything’s…” Emma found herself unable to voice what would happen to the baby once she’d been born. Instead she pressed another kiss into Regina’s hair. “We’ll have plenty of time to work on this afterwards.”

With a deep sigh Regina gave in, much to Emma’s relief. They usually argued bitterly over the fact that Emma believed she needed to stop working so hard on finding a way to get Liv back and rest more. Regina disagreed, adamant that she was absolutely fine and perfectly capable of reading books. Her most uttered phrase had become, ‘I’m pregnant, not ill’. During more than one argument, Henry had taken the advice Liv had left him in her letter and locked them both in the study, or whatever room they were in, until they convinced him through the door that they weren’t going to break up.

Apparently heeding her girlfriend’s words, Regina had resisted the urge to trawl through her books again until after she’d given birth. Her resolve was tested the next night, however, as she woke suddenly and could have sworn that Liv was standing at the end of their bed. Regina knew instantly that something odd had happened. She could smell magic in the air; the metallic tang filled her senses. By the time she recovered from the shock and looked again the room was empty.

As soon as they watched Rumplestiltskin disappear into a silvery haze, carrying their baby daughter out of their lives, the woman returned to her research. It was all that filled Regina’s mind, worrying those around her as she shut herself away in the study as soon as they got home.

“Regina!” Emma snapped, striding into the room and standing with her hands on her hips, staring at the woman who was feverishly flicking through the heavy, old book on her desk. “Look at me!” When her demand went unheeded, the blonde strode around the desk and grasped Regina’s chin in her hand, forcing her to meet her eyes. “Look at me.”

“What?” The older woman snapped, her red-rimmed eyes painfully obvious in the dim light of the room.

“Don’t shut yourself away. Not from me, not from Henry… hell, not from my parents. You’re not the only one hurting, Regina. We’re _all_ in pain. We need you and you need us. We have to get through all this _together_. I’m supposed to be the Saviour, for Christ’s sake, but I can’t even save my own kid!”

The brunette wrenched her face from Emma’s grasp. “You’re the one who appears to have given up on Liv, Miss Swan. I refuse to do that.”

“I haven’t–”

“You promised me that no one was going to take the people I loved from me again. I told you not to make promises you couldn’t keep.” Regina reminded her.

“You still have me and Henry.” Emma reminded her softly.

The coldness in the brunette’s eyes vanished at once and she buried her face in her girlfriend’s shoulder, wrapping Emma tightly in her arms and clinging on for dear life.


	26. Chapter 26

Darkness. Everything was darkness. Darkness and a feeling of floating. A feeling of floating with an overwhelming sense that someone was watching from somewhere out in the darkness.

Liv had the distinct feeling that she might possibly just be a floating brain in the darkness of The Netherworld. She couldn’t feel her arms or legs and she couldn’t see anything. But somehow she knew that there was something out there. Something bad, something she didn’t _want_ to see. There was no sense of time where she was and the teenager had no idea how much time had passed. It could have been seconds or it could have been years… decades, even. All there was was darkness, the feeling of being watched and her thoughts.

After a while, she was unsure how long, Liv decided that she couldn’t bear it any longer. She made up her mind to escape. She had no idea whether it was even possible, but whatever was in the dark was getting closer and she wasn’t going down without a fight; she was the daughter of the Saviour and the Evil Queen, after all.

If she’d had eyes she would have closed them. As it was she poured everything she had into using her magic to get out of there. Almost certain it would prove impossible the teenager felt as though she was about to explode, she was concentrating so hard. A ripple of pain tore through her and, if she’d been capable of it, she would have screamed. A blinding whiteness ripped away the darkness, before slowly fading to nothing.

Breathing deeply, Liv looked down at herself, running her hands over her body in shock. She’d done it. She had actually managed to bring herself back. A quick look at her surroundings was cut short as blackness engulfed her and she crumpled to the forest floor.

Unsure how much time had passed, the teenager eventually came round. She sat up cautiously raising a hand to her head and blinking rapidly. It was dark, but she could feel the leaves and twigs beneath her and smell the forest in the air and she knew she wasn’t back in that infinite blackness. Shakily climbing to her feet, Liv began to make her way slowly through the trees, clutching at them every now and then as her strength gradually returned to her.

Reaching the road, she looked left and right, trying to get her bearings. Unsure which way to go, Liv closed her eyes and took several steps, trusting that some unknown force would guide her home. She walked and walked, breathing a sigh of relief as she reached the town. From there she knew exactly where she was going, heading straight for 108 Mifflin Street.

Entering the house almost silently, the teenager saw a light shining underneath the study door and made for it quickly. She opened the door and peered inside, spotting Regina on the couch at once. The brunette appeared to be sound asleep, a large book balanced on her huge bump. Biting her lip, Liv had the strangest feeling that she shouldn’t be here, not yet, anyway. Resisting the urge to flee, she forced herself into the room and removed the book, setting it carefully beside the woman instead. Then she reached for the throw over the back of the seat and laid it over her mother. As she was tucking a cushion behind her head, Regina sighed deeply, a frown contorting her features. Liv froze, not even breathing as she waited to see whether she would wake up.

When Regina simply sighed again and snuggled into the blanket, the teenager allowed herself to breathe again. Then she left the room and the house, pulling the door closed behind her. Biting her lip, she wondered where to go. She assumed her unease had something to do with the fact that Regina was still pregnant and she couldn’t be in such close proximity to the bump. Briefly wondering how much longer it would be until baby her was born, the teenager shivered against the intense cold for the first time since arriving back in this world. She hadn’t really noticed the temperature before, being too intent on getting home. Now, though, she realised that, considering how pregnant Regina seemed to be, it must have been nearing the end of November and sleeping outside didn’t sound like a great option, especially if she didn’t want to end up with frostbite or pneumonia.

She wasn’t sure what the time was, but she’d guess at the early hours of the morning, considering Regina had fallen asleep on the couch and the rest of the house was in darkness. The only person she could think of to go to at that precise moment was Ruby. She needed somewhere to stay until after baby her had gone and she trusted the young woman to keep her presence a secret.

Really hoping she wasn’t going to regret her decision, Liv found herself at Ruby’s door. Hesitantly she knocked, wrapping her arms around her as she waited. A moment or so later, the tousle-haired, still half-asleep figure of the young waitress appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened immediately as she realised who had woken her and her mouth dropped open comically.

With a squeal, Ruby pulled the teenager into a tight hug. “Liv! They said… everyone thought… what are you…?”

“Can I come in?” Liv asked, trying to stop her teeth chattering violently.

Nodding, the young woman practically dragged her inside and straight to the kitchen, where she settled Liv down at the table and set about making her a hot drink. Remembering her hatred of cocoa, Ruby set a mug of tea in front of her, before seating herself opposite with an enquiring stare on her face. She reached out and caught the younger woman’s hand, linking their fingers and squeezing reassuringly.

“Well?”

“Well what?” Liv asked, taking a grateful sip of her tea. As Ruby only raised an eyebrow in response, she sighed and set the mug down. “I… somehow I’m back. I’m not entirely sure how,” she admitted with a frown, “but I am. I think… I know it was magic; I was concentrating so hard on getting back here and there was a flash of light and then… then I was in the forest. I went home but… Mom’s still pregnant and I just felt… I wasn’t supposed to be there.”

Ruby nodded slowly, untangling the teenager’s ramblings. “You can’t be around your unborn self?”

“I… I’m not sure? I don’t think so. It felt… wrong.”

“So you needed somewhere to go and thought of me?”

With a tiny smile, Liv inclined her head and gave a slight twitch of her shoulders. “I didn’t have… if you don’t want…”

“It’s fine.” Ruby assured her quickly, rounding the table and hugging her again. “You can stay here as long as you need to.”

“You can’t tell anyone… not even Granny.” Liv almost begged. “I don’t want them to know I’m here until…”

“I understand. It shouldn’t be too long; Regina’s due any day now.”

Liv tilted her head questioningly. “What’s the date?”

“It’s past midnight, so it’s November 29th.”

The teenager almost laughed. “The day after tomorrow’s my birthday, then. December 1st. That’s the day I’ll be born and I’ll also be eighteen… how weird is that?”

Ruby shook her head. “Nothing much surprises me anymore.” She admitted. Then she smiled, quickly washed the mug and set it on the draining board before she pulled the teenager to her feet. “Come on; Granny never comes in my room so she’ll never know you’re there.”

* * *

Liv was worried that Ruby wouldn’t be able to keep her presence in Storybrooke a secret or that Granny would go against the young woman’s expectations and enter her bedroom. The whole day passed, however, without her being detected. She took some food and drink from the kitchen at lunchtime, at her host’s request, and Ruby returned that evening with coffee, grilled cheese and an apple, knowing her favourites well enough.

The waitress chattered happily for a while, filling the teenager in on everything that had been going on in Storybrooke while she’d been gone. She told her about Emma and Henry moving into the Mayor’s house the day after her disappearance and the shock they’d displayed when she’d returned the fixed bug to them. Then she told her about the drastic turnaround in the relationship between Regina and Mary Margaret and how Mary Margaret and David had been trying for a baby to extend their family. Liv wasn’t sure which news she found more unbelievable; the fact that her Mom and Grandma were friends, or that her aunt or uncle would be at least eighteen years younger than her. Shrugging, she decided not to dwell on either thought and returned her attention to what Ruby was telling her about Ashley and Sean.

Far too soon Granny shouted through the speaker of her cell phone that Ruby’s break had finished ten minutes before and the young woman shot her an apologetic look, squeezing her arm and heading back to work. Left alone in the room once more, Liv found herself counting down the hours until she could reasonably go to bed. She knew Ruby wouldn’t be back until at least one, so she tried to distract herself with a book until she was tired enough to sleep.

Sometime before Ruby returned, Liv must have fallen asleep because when she woke up she realised that the room was in darkness and she’d been manoeuvred underneath the covers of the bed. She could sense, rather than see, the figure beside her and gingerly leant up on her elbow to peer over Ruby’s sleeping form at the clock on the bedside cabinet. 3:47am.

Slipping out from under the covers, the teenager picked up her boots and padded towards the door. She carefully pocketed Ruby’s keys, which had been discarded on top of the dresser, and left the bedroom. Making her way downstairs, she flinched as she stood on a creaky step. When there was no sound from above, she continued and headed through the door.

Liv pulled on the thick coat she’d grabbed from the stand beside the door and pushed her hands deep into the pockets. Although she knew she should really stay inside, she’d been cooped up all day and she really wanted some fresh air.

Her walk, predictably, took her to the huge white house that she was supposed to be staying away from. It was in complete darkness, as opposed to the previous night when the study light had been on. Unable to help herself, despite the unsettling clenching in her stomach, she waved a hand and magically unlocked the front door. Sneaking inside she made her way upstairs and paused for a moment wondering whether she was about to do something really creepy. Dismissing the thought as her need to see her mothers – even if she couldn’t actually speak to them or even approach them yet – overwhelmed her unease at being in such close proximity to herself, she opened their bedroom door and tiptoed inside. She didn’t dare to get too near, staying just inside the door.

They were curled up together in the middle of the bed; Regina on her back with one hand protectively clasped over her stomach and Emma curled into her side, the fingers on one of her hands entwined with her girlfriend’s over the bump. They both looked so peaceful and content that Liv smiled and permitted herself to lean against the doorframe for a moment, just watching them fondly.

A gasp escaped her mouth as Regina’s eyes opened unexpectedly, the brunette sitting bolt upright and looking directly at the teenager. Their gaze locked for a moment and then Regina closed her eyes tightly, running a hand over her face as though trying to wake herself up fully. In the moment her eyes were shut, Liv transported herself out of the room.

She frowned as she reappeared outside Ruby’s bedroom door, unsure just how she’d managed that particular act. It seemed to the teenager that she discovered the majority of her abilities when her emotions were particularly high; guilt at the sight of the mangled bug, anger at the junkyard owner, fear of whatever was in the dark and surprise at her mother seeing her. She was also beginning to suspect that her magic may have played a part in her not being killed in the accident when reason said she should have died. That was something else she needed to speak to Regina about.

Removing the coat and her boots, Liv replaced Ruby’s keys on the dresser and crawled back into bed beside her friend. She was sure she wouldn’t manage to get to sleep for a long time, if at all, but within minutes she felt the comfortable feeling washing over her and couldn’t resist as she drifted into a deep slumber.

* * *

Ruby had already left for the diner when Liv woke the next morning, but she didn’t really mind. She didn’t particularly want to talk to the chirpy waitress at such an early hour. Instead she rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. When she woke again, the clock told her it was nearly two. Not having anything to get up for, the teenager remained where she was.

“Liv?” Ruby shook her shoulder gently a few hours later, holding out a takeout bag from the diner in her direction. “Your mom’s gone into labour. Emma rang me from the hospital.”

“Wh- what? What time is it?”

“Ten to nine.” The young woman informed her with a bright grin at the surprise on Liv’s face. “I’ve got to get back to the diner before Granny realises I’ve gone, but I’ll keep you updated, OK?”

Nodding dazedly, the teenager stared at the brown paper bag in her lap. Almost on autopilot she opened it and started to eat. Her mind was churning over the news that Ruby had just given her. Regina was in labour. With just over three hours before it was her eighteenth birthday, she was actually in the process of being born. It was all so strange that she couldn’t quite get her head around it. Liv had obviously known that this would happen. She had assumed, though, that she wouldn’t be around to hear about it.

Once she had finished her dinner, the teenager didn’t know what to do with herself. For a while she tried to keep herself occupied listening to Ruby’s iPod, reading her book and even subjecting herself to a truly terrible romantic comedy that she found in the young woman’s movie collection. Abandoning the DVD before the end, she took to pacing, chewing her fingernails anxiously.

Hours later the door opened and Liv’s eyes snapped to it immediately. She received a weak smile from an exhausted looking Ruby, who threw herself face first onto the bed with a long sigh. Then the young woman pulled herself up to a seated position and smiled more brightly.

“Sorry… hell of a day.” She apologised, kicking her shoes off with a wince. “Firstly, happy birthday!” Ruby grinned at the teenager as she glanced at the clock and realised that it was over an hour into her birthday. “Secondly, sorry I couldn’t sneak over and see you before. Granny was getting suspicious about me disappearing and decided to keep an extra close eye on me.”

“Have you heard anything?” Liv demanded, waving away the apology.

“Not much. I text Mary Margaret and she sent me a message back to say that Regina’s still in labour. Apparently she’s been making all sorts of threats about what she’s going to do to Emma for getting her pregnant in the first place.” Ruby laughed softly. “David’s watching Henry at the apartment and Mary Margaret’s at the hospital with your moms.”

“It’s been… how long?”

“About four hours.”

“It can’t be much longer, right?” Liv asked, not really sure how it all worked.

Ruby winced. “Who knows? Mary Margaret was in labour for like a week with Emma.” Seeing the expression on the teenager’s face she shrugged. “OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it was ages.” She smiled and pulled the girl into a hug. “You should try and get some sleep. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow. Your Mom will probably try to curse you for putting her through the pain and everyone will be so happy to see you you’ll be sick of it.”

“I don’t think I _can_ sleep. I’ve been asleep pretty much all day.”

“Try.” Ruby urged, pulling her to lie down beside her. “If nothing else it’ll make time go quicker.”

Liv reluctantly relented to the wave of sleep that took over her after lying in bed for several hours. All too soon it seemed that the brunette was shaking her awake. Liv struggled to understand what Ruby was saying for a couple of minutes as her brain remained foggy from sleep.

“Liv!” Ruby sighed. “Gold’s just taken you… it’s time.”

“What? I…?”

The young woman sighed. “Go and grab a shower and then I’ll drive you home.”

“What time is it?”

“Nearly eleven.”

“In the morning?” The teenager couldn’t seem to make her brain wake up enough to catch up.

“Yes in the morning, idiot. Now go… shower!”

Doing as she was told, the teenager dragged herself out of bed and along the corridor to the bathroom. She showered quickly and pulled on the clothes she’d been wearing for several days. When she thought about it, Liv realised she’d actually been wearing the clothes for eight months. That made her shudder and she really hoped that her moms hadn’t actually thrown out her clothes after all.

Ruby sent her an encouraging smile when she reappeared, before grabbing her keys and propelling the girl down the stairs and out to her car. Pausing with her hand on the handle of the driver’s door, the older woman paused, frowning at the expression on the teenager’s face.

“What?”

“I was just wondering… you’re like best mates with Mary Margaret, right? How’s she taking all this?”

With a shrug, Ruby raised an eyebrow. “What d’you mean?”

“Well… Emma’s not exactly princessy, is she? I mean, if Snow White and Prince Charming were hoping for a girly granddaughter they’re gonna be disappointed. I’m probably even less suited to being a princess than Emma is.”

Ruby laughed and reached out to hug Liv. “They don’t care about all that. They’re just gonna be so happy to see you. Everyone will. Now,” she released the girl and smiled, “get in the car and let’s go.”

“No.” Liv shook her head firmly. “You’re not coming. You’re gonna pretend you don’t know I’m here, OK? I don’t want them to get mad that you’ve been hiding me.”

“I don’t mind. They’ll get over–”

“No, Ruby, please.”

With a sigh the waitress reluctantly relented. She folded her arms and looked along the street. “Fine. But how are you gonna get there? Walk?”

Liv grinned at her and shook her head. Shooting Ruby a wink, she closed her eyes and concentrated all her efforts on getting her to where she wanted to be. In a swirl of pink smoke she vanished. Seconds later she found herself standing in the foyer of the Mayor’s house. Making a mental note to complain to her mom about the fact that her magic produced _pink_ smoke, Liv looked around and tried to work out where she should go. Sobbing from the study immediately caught her attention and the teenager opened the door without thinking about it.

Her eyes fell on her mothers wrapped in each other’s arms, clinging on as though the other was the only thing preventing them from collapsing. Neither looked up as the door opened and the girl slipped inside, pulling the door closed behind her. Suddenly Liv was nervous; she didn’t know how they would react on seeing her. She thought, hoped, Ruby was right and they’d be happy that she’d found her way back but, considering their newborn daughter had just been ripped from their lives, she wasn’t sure.

With a deep breath, Liv cleared her throat. Immediately Regina pulled herself away from Emma, turning to see who had disturbed their moment with an indignant expression on her face. The brunette’s mouth dropped open when she realised just who it was standing there. She let out a small scream and clutched her girlfriend desperately, hoping beyond hope that she wasn’t seeing things.

Taking a hesitant step forward, Emma reached out. “L-Liv?”

“Yeah… it’s me.” The teenager agreed with a small smile. Tears leapt into her eyes before she could stop them. “Mom, Ma… I…”

Before she could say another word she was dragged into a tight embrace, tears and laughter and indistinguishable muttering filling the room. The feeling of finally being exactly where they were supposed to be, finally feeling at home, settled over all three as they managed to pull themselves apart after what seemed a long time.

Regina, still clasping Emma’s hand tightly in her own, reached forwards with her free hand and placed it gently on Liv’s cheek. She stroked it slowly with her thumb. “We have so much to talk about. There are so many questions unanswered. I want a very serious word with Rumplestiltskin because I’m sure there’s a lot he’s not telling us.” She took a deep breath and smiled. “But right now… I think a family lunch is in order. It is your eighteenth birthday, after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Operation Angelfish!
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, leaving kudos and commenting! It means so much :D
> 
> I'm going to start posting the sequel - Of Magic and Memory - tomorrow, so watch this space!
> 
> Bex :)


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